Radioactive
by FangLovesMeMost
Summary: (Body swap, Dylan hate, Faxness, Erasers, Nudge boy drama, Pyros) *"Fine," I said, cutting her off, "but how do I... deal with her?" She shrugged and flew away with the others, leaving me to deal with Max - who was now currently trying to see how many flowers she could shove up her nose. Just me... my hallucinating girlfriend... and my nonexistent twin... ugh. Best alone time ever.
1. Fang's nail polish collection?

**Radioactive  
**

**Disclaimer! - I do not own Maximum Ride, James Patterson does! I don't own any of the characters or places.**

**A/N: This fic takes place at the end of Nevermore, but before (spoiler alert!) the end of the world. So, this starts off on the island. Oh, and one more thing... (spoiler again!) Angel is NOT the Voice. I just never understood that concept.**

**Summary: The Max finds out that while she spent time back at the School, the Whitecoats put new chips in each member of the flock. Max forces the Flock to get x-rays from her mother. The Voice warns Max not too, but she does. As a result, the Flock goes through a body swap! Hahaha! Meanwhile, Max still needs to save the world, and do something about Dylan. (Sorry if this summary sucks). Rated - T ('cause I'm scared). May include Fax later on!  
**

* * *

I sat on the beach outside of my tree house with the waves rolling up and licking at my toes. This was the first peaceful moment I'd had since this morning when Ig and Gaz set part of the cliffs on fire. I swear, if this island goes up in flames, it will be because of them.

I felt the familiar pin pricks of the hairs standing up on the back of my neck and closed my eyes, gently smiling as I heard the sand whisper under silent feet.

"I think I'm finally getting used to that." I said jokingly, leaning back on my hands and tilting my head. I opened my eyes to see Fang next to me. He snorted a smirk, which was almost as good as getting a laugh from him.

"You? Used to me?" He asked innocently. "I'll find ways to scare you, keep you on your toes."

I shook my head. "Nope. Nothing you do now is surprising." I laid back with my hands behind my head, closing my eyes again. "You can't sneak up on me anymore. You can't be totally invisible and spook me either. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada."

"Is that a challenge?" I heard right in front of my face. My breath caught and my eyes snapped open. Fang's face was inches from mine, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. I blinked rapidly in surprise at his closeness. "'Cuz I can think of a few things that still surprise you."

After a second, my heart started beating again as he leaned away from me. He chuckled softly and pulled me into his lap. I frowned at him and sighed, pretending to rest my arms unwillingly around his neck. "You're so full of yourself." I shook my head in mock disappointment.

"Am I?" He asked raising his eyebrows until they disappeared beneath his dark hair. His arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt my annoying automatic-blush reaction. He gently kissed my cheek, and I went to turn my mouth to his, but like the last few times of any alone time with Fang, something really annoying happened.

_Maximum, this is not part of the plan._ The Voice butted in.

I jumped, and growled with disgust. "Uhg! Why won't you just leave me alone!" I said aloud, my annoyance making me forget to keep the conversation in my head.

Fang's arms loosened and his lips pulled away from my cheek. Shock was swimming in his eyes.

"Sorry." I muttered. "Not you. It's the Voice again."

Fang's face softened. "What'd it say?" He asked, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Nothing." I replied. "I'm ignoring it." I constricted my arms tighter around his neck pulling his face close to mine again.

_No, Maximum._ The Voice said sternly. _This cannot happen. No more of this. This is not whom you are to be with. Dylan. Find him._

I practically shook with anger. I couldn't help myself from standing up, stomping a few steps away, and shrieking with rage. I grabbed fistfuls of hair between my fingers and pulled hard. The Voice had been talking about Dylan ever since he left, and wouldn't leave me alone with Fang. It was really annoying the hell out of me.

"Just shut up," I whispered. "Not going to happen. Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Fang's hand rested on my shoulder. "What's it saying?" He asked, this time demanding a real answer.

"Doesn't matter." I hissed. "I'm not doing what it says."

_Tell him, Max. Dylan's back in America._

"Max." Fang insisted.

_Max._

"No!" I seethed.

_I'm going to have to punish you._ The Voice warned. _It'd be very unfortunate if you were to have to deal with a 'brain attack' now. I've been saving up._

My eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't." I breathed in a scared whisper. "You can't do that!" I whirled to face Fang, and gripped his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice suddenly lower, which equaled concern in his language.

_Sorry, Max._

And suddenly my legs crumpled. My neck lolled back and my vision was covered in flashing images – not the usual kind though - of Dylan, where he was at, places he had already been. Somewhere in the confusion I felt Fang catch me, and that's when the pain hit. He was shouting to me but my ears were ringing. I felt my self being picked up and everything thing that touched me was needle sharp. I lost consciousness at that point.

I didn't wake up to that blurry face repeating your name over and over. Nope. It wasn't that easy for me. It was more of 'Oh-God-what's-that-smell-and-somebody-knock-me-out-so-I-don't-have-to-deal-with-this-headache' kind of deal. "Uhn-uhg." I moaned. And to top it all off, a wet slimy tongue was licking my cheek. "Get off me, Total!" I said, shoving him to the floor.

"Mayday! Mayday! The enemy is awake! We have a mutant down!" He cried running out the door limping. "My leg! It may be broken!"

I rolled my eyes. He was so melodramatic. I took the alone moment to ask the stupid Voice what it did to me.

_I already told you._

_Yah,_ I thought, _thanks. How the hell are you still in my head? I got that chip out forever ago._

A head peeped in my doorway, and I held up a finger for them to wait. Of course, that head belonged to Fang… so he didn't. I tapped my temple, letting him know what I was doing. He frowned, nodded, and then sat down beside me.

_Remember when you and the Flock were captured by the school again? And they told you everything you had experienced for months was a dream?_ It asked patiently.

_So?_ I countered.

_Remember how your hand worked again? And there was no scar?_

_So?_ I asked again, still not understanding.

The Voice seemed to sigh. _They're scientists with trillions of dollars. They can clean up a scar, Max. They gave you a new chip. A better one in fact, and now I can knock you out._

My blood ran cold. Fang saw me tense up and he did also, itching to beat the crap out of something that he couldn't.

"This is agonizing, Max." He said lowly. "Tell me what's going on."

When I sat frozen for another moment, he started to talk again. I held up my hand for him be quiet.

_What about the others?_ I asked. _Did they mess with them, too? Put a chip in them?_

Silence.

That answered my question.

I shot up and gripped Fang's forearm. "Get the Flock. I'll explain at Mom's office." I jumped out the window and started for tallest tree without a glance back. It was probably stupid to fly with a voice that could knock me out whenever, but this was serious. Those Whitecoats could be listening to every one of my Flock's thoughts.

I landed and stumbled in through the tree's entrance. My mother glanced up from watering the floor, since the tree itself was the thing that needed watering. "Max?"

"Get an x-ray set up for the Flock. Now." I demanded. She nodded and led me away without question.

By the time she had everything set up, the rest of the flock had arrived, and I was near hyperventilation when Fang pulled me out the room to talk in private. He sent me a look that made me want to cower in a corner.

"I still have the chip." I whimpered. "I-"

"You're _not_ getting it out." Fang said sternly, immediately knowing what I planned on doing.

"But they could be tracking us. Mom and Ella are here. Other kids like us." I protested.

"No." He said again.

I glared at him. "What did you just tell me?"

He glared back. "I said no. We're always being tracked, and we're not going to end up amputating your arm this time."

"Well it's my arm and I'll do what I want. And I want this – no, I _need_ this voice out my head." I argued.

Fang's eyes narrowed as he shook his head. His arms crossed over his chest.

"Well every time I try to kiss you, it starts screaming about _Dylan_." I answered. This shocked him, and while he was stunned, I shoved passed him. "Mom," I said, walking back into the room, "I want the whole Flock to get x-rays of their arms."

My mother knew better than to ask me why about anything. She nodded and got Angel set up.

_Max, stop this!_ The voice practically shouted out of nowhere._ This is a _very_ bad idea. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into._

_Well, La-di-da! Wouldn't be the first time for either._ I thought sourly. _Now, get out of my freaking head!_

The beep of the first x-ray was sent up, and Angel was removed from the table. Gazzy was pulled up next.

_Max, your chip is connected to your powers._ The Voice explained.

I exhaled sharply. _I'm not listening. La-la-la-la-la!_

Another beep went off and Nudge was pulled up next. Angel pulled on my shirt, and I looked down to her. "Yah, sweety?"

_You think we have chips, too?_ She asked in my head. I nodded. Sheesh. Was my head not private at all? _No, your head's always being hijacked._ She agreed. I smiled half-heartedly at her, and then looked up. Fang was glaring at me from the other side of the room.

Beep!

Iggy's turn.

I looked back at him frowning. I decided to remind him why I needed the Voice out of my head again incase it wasn't sinking in yet. "Dylan." I mouthed, and he suddenly went into that still, silent shock mode again.

"Don't say his name, Max." Angel whispered up to me. "It hurts me just hearing the pain it put's Fang in."

Oh. Well… I felt stupid.

Beep!

"Fang your turn." Dr. Martinez motioned Fang over with her hand. He snapped out of his stillness and looked at me angrily. I gave him a nod that said, 'Yup, I give you permission to kill me later.' His answering look said, 'Yah, I'll beat you with your own severed hand.' I frowned. He was such a party pooper without even using real words.

Reluctantly, he placed his arm under the x-ray's light. My mom adjusted it until she thought it was perfect. Then she went behind her little glass wall and pushed a button.

Beep!

Mom walked back over to the table as Fang stood up. She pulled several thick plastic boards out of it and then pulled the x-rays from the plastics. She lined them up against a lit wall proportion. Every single picture came up with an identical chip in the lower part of the forearm. Tangled up to where it was impossible to remove, I might add.

_Crap._

Fang turned back to me, his eyebrows raised.

"What's everyone gasping at?" Iggy asked.

"Ig," Nudge started, "We all have chips in our arms."

And that, dear world, was the shortest thing Nudge had ever said in her life. This just goes to show you how much we were all freaking out on the inside.

* * *

Fang pulled me tighter against him. "No." He said again.

"Yes." I said. "End of discussion."

"You are not getting the chip out of your arm. I don't care if you see Dylan for the rest of your life. Deal with it." His voice vibrated my back from leaning against his chest.

It was night and all the others were asleep in their own houses. We'd all only gotten the x-rays a few hours ago.

"Shut up." I whispered.

"You know Dr. Martinez won't do it again after what happened last time." He still continued.

"Then I'd just threaten to take it out myself. She'd do it then." I reasoned.

Fangs hands froze from where they were tracing patterns along my arms. "You wouldn't actually try to take it out would you?" He asked. I could physically feel the tension he was holding.

"Shut up." I sighed again.

He spun me around to face him. His wild gaze surprised me and I felt myself go limp. "Max, do not lie to me. You would never try to cut that thing out of your arm again would you?"

"N-no." I stuttered. I shook my head for emphasis.

His eyes didn't change. "Promise me."

"I promise." I said slowly.

He sighed and pulled my mouth to his. It wasn't anything over the top, but just special and relieved. He pulled away and then kissed the top of my head. "Oh, Maximum, what am I going to do with you?" He mumbled into my hair.

"You're gonna kiss up to me for arguing with me earlier today."

"Just did." He said, kissing the corner of my eye and then smirking.

"Doesn't count!" I sang. "You'll start with the laundry."

"How about no?" He asked giving my hand a squeeze.

"How about you scrub Gazzy's toilet, too, for telling me no?"

Fang grinned. "Are you trying to send me on a suicide mission?"

I laughed. "Maybe."

Fang stood up to leave. "Well, I'm afraid I'll have to decline that offer. Maybe something a little less life threatening and scarring." He stood on the edge of my window.

"We'll see." I agreed.

Fang flashed me one last grin… until I shoved him of the edge.

* * *

**(A/N: Please bear with me! This is going to get really confusing, really fast)**

Fang busted down my door screaming. "What's going on? Oh, God! You! Me?"

I sat up confused. I glanced at the sun rising in the sky - morning. "What?" And that's when I realized my voice sounded funny. And this wasn't my room.

Fang raced over and yanked my wrists around behind my back and held them there. "They're still sending out my clones?"He asked. "I mean this is like really flattering and all, but really? I've had enough of you guys. You look just like me, but your hair totally needs to be brushed. Oh, and come on! You chipped your nails! And look! Your make-up is smeared! Maybe I should just tie you up for a bit, redo your outfit, and then I'll get Max to kill you."

Hold up. Did Fang just speak a whole paragraph? And talk about my nails? And make-up? When have I _ever_ worn _make-up_? And when has _Fang_ ever cared about _that_?

"Wait a second." I said sharply. "This isn't my room." I said looking around. Pink and purple blankets were on the bed, and poster after poster of famous people I didn't know of lined every inch of wall space. Why was I in Nudge's bedroom?

"Well, duh! Why are you trying to replace me?" Fang squeezed my wrists together tighter. Geez! Didn't he know how strong he was? Control yourself, boy!

"This definitely isn't your room either, Fang. And how am I trying to replace you exactly?" I ripped my hands from his grasp. "Watch the grip there." I rubbed my wrists, annoyed.

Fang turned around. "Fang's here?" He turned back to face me.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked. I brought my hands up to wipe the sleep from my eyes, and froze. Since when did I have chocolate brown skin?

And then the weirdest thing happened to me in my entire life…

Fang… _giggled. Like a girl._

I so wish I'd gotten it on camera. I'd use it as blackmail.

"Now you see what I mean about your chipped nail?" He asked. I glanced back down at my hand. The hand that couldn't have possibly been mine. "Seriously though, why are you here?"

I looked up dazed. "I could ask the same for you."

And then Fang… _giggled… again._ It was the dopiest look I'd ever seen, and I caught myself from staring more. "This is my room, of course. I don't know why I woke up in Fang's room, though. I was really mad because I need to check on my nail polish collection. And my voice sounds really weird." He stopped and made a weird sound that sounded like a pig and a rooster crowing at the same time. "I went down to your mom's and picked up some medicine for it."

"Do you think you're Nudge or something?" I might have actually been laughing if I wasn't freaking out.

Fang let out a laugh. He didn't get to answer before Angel burst in. Her head whipped between us. "No!" She exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" I asked.

"You two morons are taking way too long to figure this out." She put her hands on her hips and glared at me. She walked over, grabbed mine and Fang's hand, and pulled us both to a mirror. Fang and Angel were standing next to me, except I was Nudge. _What?_

"Oh, for crying out loud! We've swapped bodies!" She poked me in the chest. "All of us! You're Max in Nudge's body. And you-" She poked Fang, "You're Nudge in Fang's body." She rubbed her temples. "Oh, my God. How does Angel deal with all of these thoughts in her head?"

I was still stuck trying to get past the thought of me… in make-up. "Wait. Who are you then?" I asked taking a step away from Angel.

Her face contorted painfully. She mumbled something I didn't catch.

"What?" I asked, leaning down to her level.

She glared at me. "Fang."

There was silence for a minute, which was then broken by my crazed laughter. "Oh, my freaking goodness!" I crooned, wiping tears from my eyes. This was hilarious!

"Someone shoot me now." He, I mean, _she_ moaned sitting on her little rear end. She pointed at me and her eyes narrowed. "Why don't you go put on a dress? It's the only wardrobe you have."

My laugh was cut short and I glared down at Angel's body. She grinned. I turned to Nudge, who was in Fangs body (wow this is way too hard to keep up with, so I'll just keep refering to their bodies instead of who's in them) and my eyes widened in horror. "Please, I'm begging you. Do you have any less fancy clothes?"

Fang shook his head and grinned.

"This isn't funny, Nudge." I sighed. I tugged at the bright florescent tank top and jean skirt. She _slept_ in this stuff?

"No _it_ isn't, but what I just thought about _is_." He replied.

Angel gasped and lunged at Fang. "No you wouldn't!" Angel cried out.

I stepped back. Fang held out his hand and kept Angel back with one hand on her head.

"Fang's got so much hair on this head that I'm going to put it in a bunch of pig tails." Fang said, his grin widening. "I'm gonna take a picture and post it on his blog!"

"Nooooo!" Angel took a swipe at him with her short arms. "If I wasn't trying to attack myself right now, I would so kick you where it counts! It's too bad I might wanna have kids someday though!" She stopped struggling and crossed her hands over her chest. Suddenly, Fang's face fell and so did hers. Angel moaned.

"What?" I asked.

Fang looked over at me. "I think Fang just heard me think about having to use the restroom." His face paled. "Max! I have to pee! What am I going to do?"

My mouth dropped open, and I started laughing again.

"Max." Angel chided. "I guess your Voice won't have to worry about anything going on between us for a while."

Again, my laugh cut short. I accidentally cursed out loud. "Damn it!"

"Language!" Angel protested. "Not around little ears." She said pointing to herself, although, I could see how angry Fang was inside her body. "I can feel the others waking up." She said suddenly. "Let's go check them out."

Fang and I followed Angel out the window. We took a familiar flight pattern and ended up landing at my normal house. Oh, no. Who had my body?

Max, or what was usually my body, sprinted to my window smiling. "I guess I'm finally flock leader!" She yelled excitedly.

Angel leaned over next to me. "It's Angel guys. Angel is in Max's body."

I sighed in relief. At least it wasn't one of the boys.

"Come on Flock! I'm in charge now! U and A! Now!" Max piped jumping excitedly.

I rolled my eyes and bent down to Angel's level. I pinched her cheeks. "Fang, why don't you lead us to the other two?" Angel pushed my hands off her cheeks angrily. She ran and took off out the window. The rest of us followed.

We landed in Iggy's room, which was even more of a mess than usual.

"HELP ME! I'M BLIND!" Iggy ran right into me and I grabbed his shoulders. "I CAN'T SEE!"

"Gazzy, calm down." I sighed, since this was the only other person he could have switched with. Iggy was shaking uncontrollably.

"Why can't I see anything?" He whimpered.

I shook him gently. "We've all switched bodies." I explained.

And that's when the Gasman came running in the door. "I can see!" He shouted happily. "And Max, what are you wearing?"

Out of habit I looked down at myself, then remembered. I looked over at my body and it grinned. Angel in my body had dressed me up in pink. Pink! Did I even own any pink clothes? I gritted my teeth.

"Everyone listen up!" I yelled over the chaos. Oh course, half of them ignored me, since I wasn't really myself. "I'm Max! Now listen to me! We are all meeting up at my Mom's office in two minutes!"

Every single one of them gave me a look. "Don't make me say it twice." I hissed at them. My menace must have been apparent because all of them shot out into the air. Iggy stayed where he was at, shivering.

"Max." He whined. "I can't see." His sightless eyes were stretched as wide as they could go as if this would help.

"Come here." I grabbed his wrist.

* * *

Ok. To get this straight, Max was pacing around the room, not me. Well, it was kind of me, but not my brain… I think.

Here's the deal. I was in Nudges body, Fang was in Angel's (snicker), Nudge was in Fang's, Angel was (sadly) in mine, Gazzy in Iggy's, and Ig in Gaz's.

Talk about confusing.

"Shhhh!" Max shushed. "The Voice is talking." She said for the hundredth time.

I leaned down to Angel. "Is this what I'm always like?" I whispered. She turned her head to me and smirked (a weird face for her). She nodded. "Wow, I'm really annoying." I said exasperated. Angel nodded again. I raised a hand and hit her playfully. "You don't have to agree!"

"Hey!" She protested. "I may be Fang on the inside right now, but really you're beating up Angel. So, just chill, okay?"

"Fine!" I snapped, then turned around and whapped Fang in the back of the head.

"Ow!" Fang shrieked (Haha! I didn't know his voice could go that high.). "I can still feel that, it doesn't hurt him!"

I apologized lightly to him. I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, "Nudge, we are going to dress up that body and put it in a dress and make up-"

Angel slapped me, hard. I tsked. "Now, Fang, you're only beating up Nudge's body. So… chill, okay?" She huffed and brushed a bouncy blonde curl behind her ear. I patted her head. "Good, Girl."

Fang elbowed me. I turned around and he was grinning. "After we get a few good pics of this hair in ponytails-" he pulled on a strand of his hair, "-I say we shave it off!"

"No!" Both Angel and I exclaimed at the same time.

Fang raised an eyebrow at me. "Why not?"

Angel snorted and started cracking up. She pushed a question into my head. _Cuz it's hot and it gives you something to hold on to?_ I could hear laughter in my head. _Is this what your head always sounds like?_

My face brightened to a crimson red. Fang could hear every mortifying thought I'd ever had now.

_It's not so bad. I like it. _Angel's sweet voice answered.

Oh, I was so going to kill Fang when we were all back to ourselves. I couldn't wait.

"Angel?" I asked. Max turned to look at me. "So how'd this happen?"

Max took a deep breath. "Well, the Voice was cursing a lot at first, and it said it tried to tell you this would happen."

"When?" I protested. She sent a silent look at me and I shut up. Now I know why the Flock listens to me when I give them 'the face'. I'm down right scary when I do it.

"It said that radiation changes things, especially higher concentrations of it. Like cancer and stuff. Babies can mutate."

"But we're already mutants." Fang questioned.

"Exactly." Max replied. "And our chips are connecting us all and our powers. And, our powers are connected to our minds. The radioactivity of the x-rays messed with the chips and changed the connections between us." She stopped and was done.

"So that's it? That's all it took.?" I asked totally confused about how just an x-ray could do this.

"No. We all had to take one for it to work. And the Voice said a bunch of other science stuff that I couldn't understand. It's really complicated."

This didn't surprise me, since the voice was always complicated and confusing.

"How do we change it?" I asked.

She shrugged. "It's trying to figure that out right now." She rubbed her temple where I always felt the pain of the Voice. "Oh, and Max? How do you deal with this thing ragging on you about saving the world. And it was talking about Dylan, too. How do you get it to shut up?"

I laughed. "You don't. It's not like one of your mind reads. You can't just stop it whenever." I took a breath and asked what I thought was the million dollar question. "How long does the Voice think we'll be stuck like this?"

"It says at least a week until it finds out a way. The radioactivity may just degrade on its own and we may change back by ourselves. It says it isn't sure."

Anger flared up in the room.

"But I'm blind!"

"I'm a chick!"

"But I'm _him_!"

"I really, really have to pee still!"

"Shut it!" I yelled. It got quiet. "I know ya'll's problems suck, and I have to wear dresses and skirts for who knows how long, but can we please slow down?"

Angle huffed. "I'm wearing a skirt right now, too." She clicked her heels together. "It's so airy!" The complaint escaped with a whine.

"Max?" Max asked. "The Voice said we really need to focus on the world right now. It said we have to get going, that something's going to happen." She frowned. "It says we should pack soon."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Max smiled. "Back to France."

"Alright fine. Everybody pack. We'll leave tomorrow." I ushered the other's outside. Gazzy took Iggy's arm and guided him away. The others took off while Angel and I stayed behind.

"I can't wait until this is over with." I said turning to her.

She smiled angelically. "At least one good thing came out of this."

"What could possibly be good about this?" I said exasperated, waving my hands everywhere to include everything.

"This." She said. Suddenly my own hand came up and smacked me in the face. And then the other one. "Hey, Max! Quit hitting yourself!" Another slap. "Quit hitting yourself!"

"I. Will. Kill. You." I growled, and then Angel was flying away, laughing as hard as she could.

Stupid Fang in Angel's body. Stupid mind controlling powers.

Maybe I would help Nudge (in Fang's body) shave his head. I grinned evilly.

* * *

**A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please tell me if it sucks! I want honest answers with no sugar coating! If ya'll like it, I'll continue it!**

**So please review! Pwwease? -blinks Bambi eyes-  
**


	2. Mr Forky Porky and Fangs tickle spot

**A/N: Oh, my goodness! I love you guys! Thank you ********SkyGirl68,** for the heads up ! I've been made aware of how really confusing that was and I totally agree! And another special thanks to **supersexyghotmew95, Fiona Siona, Chant de la lune hante, ****Lootmagoot**, and 3ThingsWithWings for being my first reviewers ever!  


**-Bows down repeatedly and kisses the floor-**

** I seriously almost cried for joy! I was running around like a madwoman, and my mother gave me a look that questioned my sanity... hehe!**

* * *

**NOTICE! Thanks to feed back, I'm trying to make this less confusing! This chapter was written talking about the ****person**** in each body, NOT the body itself!**

I landed back in Nudge's room. I changed into the most comfortable outfit she owned and thought about how rest of the day had been nightmarish. Actually, I only knew the rest of _my_ day had been a nightmare. I wasn't sure about the others.

From the moment Nudge saw that chipped nail this morning, I was doomed. She spent all day doing up my hair and (shudder) make-up. She claimed that doing all this beauty work on me was much easier than doing it on herself. She complained about every little flaw she saw, and how she'd never been able to see them before.

Not only did all this go wrong, but it was completely horrifying when she told me she was going to wet herself from a bladder explosion. In the end, she ended running into the woods somewhere, and closed her eyes. She was uncharacteristically quiet after that.

Anyway, so here I was now, in a white blouse and long black skirt, using all my imagination to tell myself I was just in sweatpants. I was _not_ in a skirt. Not a skirt. Not a skirt.

I sighed irritably when I slid under the covers and the skirt slid up to. I _was_ in a skirt.

I glared at the wall, trying to take my mind off the unbearable girlishness. That was my first mistake.

My first mistake, because the wall stared back. Hundreds of faces, thousands of eyes. Famous woman, after famous dude. So… many… posters. Once I made eye contact with some random guy from one of the boy bands, I shivered. How could Nudge sleep with so many people staring at her and smiling? It was so creepy. Then I I lost my calm feeling. Mistake number two.

Mistake two, because that's when my head slammed back into the headboard. Why? Because, Nudges head board was metal, and I seemed to be the only member of the Flock that was incapable of controlling my new powers whenever I lost my 'cool', and some metal object decided 'Hey! It's party time! Let's stick to Max's face!'. The same thing happened earlier when Nudge pulled out the Flat Iron for my hair. _That_ did not go over well.

But, one good thing came out of those mistakes. I'd knocked my head so hard, that I knocked myself out and that put me to sleep real fast. No more creepy smiles and eyes.

Sadly, knocking myself out left a nice big knot on the back of my head. That was mistake number three. Nudge was going to kill me tomorrow.

* * *

"Lot's and lot's of food for everyone!" Iggy sang, swirling around the kitchen, placing punches that ended and inch from everyone's face. He loved showing off his new eyesight. "Here, Max!" He flipped a pancake onto my plate from across the table.

Iggy was the only happy one. Gazzy demanded he be fed because if he couldn't see it, he wasn't touching it with his hands – unless it was still an explosive, of _course_. Nudge saw how messy my hair was and I refused to spend an hour on it, so she was sulking. Fang was busy glaring at a pile of eggs for who knows why. Angel rubbed her temples nonstop, no doubt the Voice was throwing a fit.

"So..." Iggy, said with a smile. "France! I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower." He glopped a swab of butter onto his third bagel. Only the clinking of forks on plates. Our silence made him frown. "It's not that bad is it guys? I've always imagined it'd be really cool."

"Oh, Iggy, it is." I assured him quickly. "It's really pretty at night. And, if it's raining, the street lights reflect of the puddles. And if you stand right at the edge, it's almost like you're actually flying."

Fang picked up his fork and twirled it between his fingers.

Nudge jumped and spoke up. "You've been? When did you go?" She asked bewildered. "I don't remember going, and I was with you the whole time!" Pieces of bacon showered out her mouth and landed randomly on the table, the floor, or her lap.

I started to open my mouth, then snapped it shut. Flashbacks of Paris shot through my mind. That was when Fang loved someone else, when I was heartbroken, and… when Dylan kissed me for the first time.

Suddenly the clanging of metal clattered across the floor. The top half of the fork Fang had been playing with was broken and halted its run somewhere under the sink. Everyone looked to him, but his blonde curls hung in the way. He shoved a biscuit in his mouth, making it impossible for him to explain his reaction.

"Oh!" I replied halfheartedly. "I'd gone to get some crepes for Total. I'd told you guys I'd be back. I'd kind of just stopped by on the way."

"Oh, well I wish you'd have taken us." Nudge sighed.

"We'll go this time." I assured her. I took a bite of pancake, embarrassed, guilty, and angry. Fang had read my mind. He heard what I thought. I felt so mortified. I took a drink of orange juice. And why'd he have to break the fork?

_Better than the table_. Fang pushed into my mind.

_But the fork was so young! It didn't deserve to die!_ I couldn't help making a horrified face at him while thinking it. Iggy caught my look and raised an eyebrow, then shook his head as if to say 'These people are weirder than Total.'

Fang glanced over at me and just stared like I was nuts. _Max, what are you on?_

_Fang, I demand you go over there, pick up that fork, and say you're sorry._ I put my hands on my hips. Fang continued the look that told me I'd lost it. Determined to keep this from returning back to Dylan, I said even more stuff that didn't make sense, only this time out loud. "Fang. A cold blooded murderer? That fork is gonna come back to haunt you." Then I leaned across the table and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Igggggy… cue the spooky sound effects." Without even asking what was going on, he filled the room with ghost noises. I concentrated on the half of the fork that was still under the sink. It rose slowly and floated it's way to Fang's face. "OoooOOooooo!" I taunted, making my own best ghost noise. "Say you're sorry, Fang."

He raised an eyebrow. "No."

"OOOOOOOOOOOO!" I said louder and more enthusiastically.

"Max, are you insane?" He replied.

Then I remembered something. Something so evil, he would hate me forever. He _would_ give in now, without a doubt.

Fang had never been tickled before, simply because he wasn't ticklish… _in his own body_, at least. Angel on the other hand, was very, _very_ ticklish. I grinned. I knew exactly where that tickle spot was. "Fang, I'm warning you." I sighed. "I loved Mr. Forky Porky. You are really making him upset."

He shook his head like I was an idiot, which I _was not_, just to make sure we're clear. "I'm leaving. This is just weird." He pushed his chair back and stood up. Then he did the worst thing he possibly could.

He turned his back on me.

Quicker than you could say 'Holy Freaking Cow!' (I realize I say the word 'freaking a lot. Why, you ask? Because I freaking want to, so just freaking deal with it! Tehee.), I launched myself out of my chair and tackled him to the ground.

"Ow! Max! What the-"

"Tickle! Tickle! Tickle!" I shouted happily. The rest of the Flock lept out of their seats to see what I was up to.

"You know? I've always wondered why people always say, like, the word 'tickle' when they tickle someone." Nudge said to Gazzy. "Isn't it bizarre?"

Fang kicked under me. "Max! Get offfffhahahaha!" He tried to glared at me while keeping a stable voice, but he laughed instead. It was the funniest look I'd ever seen a seven-year-old give. "Ma-aax!"

"Beg!" I cooed. "Beg for mercy!"

The Flock was cracking up behind me, and one of them started to chant. "Beg! Beg! Beg!"

Fang was used to pain, starving, needles, and unbearable situations, but he was not used to this relentless form of torture. This was new to him. Why didn't the Whitecoats just use this? I swore to myself as soon as Fang was back to normal, I _would_ find his tickle spot. This was _PRICELESS!_

"Get offmerhehehe!" He tried to twist out.

I pinned him and stoped tickling. "Beg!"

He puffed his cheeks angrily. "No!"

I called the Flock closer. "There will be no escape then! Here Nudge! Grab this arm. And you, Gaz! Grab this one! Ig, get his feet!"

"N-n-noooo!" Fang gasped as his limbs were pinned.

"Time for the best part!" I was actually enjoying this way too much. I'll admit, I even giggled. My hands flew up too his armpits, Angel's most well known tickle spot.

"MERCY!" _MERCY!_ "MERCY!" Fang shrieked in both my head and aloud. "I APOLOGIZE TO THE FREAKING FORK!"

"He has a name!" I chided, stopping my attack for a moment.

Fang took a moment to catch his breath, then gave me a defiant stare. I raised my hands, casually threatening him, and wiggled my fingers.

He glanced at the ceiling as if begging God to help him and the blurted out, "I'm sorry I broke you Mr. Forky Porky!"

The others looked to me for confirmation. "He's good." I said and backed up. The others slowly stumbled backward. What was he going to do?

He looked over at Iggy and smiled. "You are so talented, man!" He said seemingly off subject.

"What?" Iggy glanced at me and I shrugged.

"I couldn't concentrate enough while you were tickling, but I think I'll put my powers to good use." Fang explained like we were stupid. H turned his head to me and batted his eyelashes. _Uh-oh…_

'_Uh-oh' is right!_ He smirked.

"Everyone of you is gonna stay right here until I say to move, k?" He said with that creepy voice Angel used when she controlled people. I felt my head nod unwillingly. "Hey, Ig?" He asked never taking his eyes of me.

Iggy looked like he wanted to puke. "Yah?"

"Since you have Gaz's powers, you're gonna let one loose as soon as I leave."

"Mercy!" Nudge screamed. "Puh-leasssse!"

Fang bowed, beat his chest twice, flashed a peace sign, and moon-walked down the hall before turning a corner.

_See you later… if you survive._ I heard in my head. And then a green cloud, well, clouded my vision.

* * *

**Sorry this was so short. I was just wondering if this chapter was easier to read than the first. I thought it was less confusing, but should I keep writing it like this? Please review, I really want to know. And... criticism is very much welcome! I want to make this as good as I can! Nice reviews are great too!**


	3. S'mores and Flammable Farts

**A/N: I want to apologize for not updating quick enough - I blame it on my clutziness. I'm in physical therapy right now for injuring my knees and back. So, between sports, school, therapy, chores, sleeping, and eating, my only free time is on Saturdays and a little bit of Sunday. It's really hard to fit time in, so if it takes me a while to update, I am ****sincerely ****sorry.**

**Wow, I sound so diplomatic... or like I'm being totally... um... I dunno... what's the word? Idk, but I'll make one up.**

**Nevmooring= (adj) to blame something on someone unsuspecting; to deem one's self as not responsible for an action**

**I could write a dictionary for made up words! But who would wanna read that anyway? Sorry, this has NOTHING to do with ANYTHING, sooo**

**HERE'S CHAPTER 3!**

* * *

We were in the air over miles and miles of dark ocean. The sun had been slowly rising off to our right, and as much as we wanted to be playing on our way, we didn't. So far, we'd been flying 9 hours straight with no breaks and only burritos and granola bars for food. In other words, this was bound to be a long flight from the beginning.

"Gazzy! I swear if you sing one more version of wheels on the bus, I'm gonna flip!" Nudge huffed. Most of our breathing was getting kind of heavy, but we only had one more hour left, so we weren't freaking out over the fact that we were actually tired.

"Yah." Angel said. "And I hate to break it to you Gazzy, but you're not the best singer anymore."

Iggy whooped. "'Cuz I am!" And he started in on the new song "Radioactive" - by Imagine Dragons.

Gazzy whined, pulled out several wires and scrap metal from his pocket, and then started fiddling with them. He was so good with explosives, he could have made them with his eyes closed, so being newly blind didn't really affect his hobby that much.

I glanced around at the five others, automatically counting heads out of habit. Angel was falling behind and was flutter-flapping, her wing beats uneven and strained. "Angel?" I asked quickly falling back in the group.

"Sorry, Max. The Voice didn't let me get any sleep last night, it's been doing internal analyses on everyone, and was recording them verbally." The look on her face told me she was lying. Her next wing beat slowed and she dropped several feet before coming back up. "Max, my head really hurts." She adjusted the strap on her backpack, her face white with pain and effort. She smiled weakly at me and then sucked in a sharp breath. Her hand started to lift up to her temple again, but suddenly she cried out in pain. Her wings flattened against her back and she tightened into a ball.

I shot down after her and fought for a hold on her tight body. She was screaming blood curdling shrieks and shaking. I finally caught one of her ankles and pulled up hard.

We both kept falling. Oh, God! I was Nudge, and I wasn't strong enough. "Nudge!" I yelped. I was going to need Fang's body strength for this.

Within seconds, Nudge was at my side helping me lift Angel, still shrieking in agony.

Once we leveled out, I let Nudge take all her weight. "Holy Cheese!" I gasped. "Fang, you're right. I do weigh a freaking ton!"

He turned his head to look at me and shrugged. "Told you."

It took a few minutes until Angel was just whimpering. Nudge decided to take this time to start up one of her monologues. "I was just wondering, like, what if one of us died. Would we be stuck in our bodies? Like if Angel died, would you be stuck in that body because you couldn't switch with a dead person? And then because your stuck in my body, I would be stuck in Fangs body? And then because I'm stuck in Fang's body, he'd be stuck in Angel's? I mean, think about it, wouldn't that be totally weird?" She tilted her head in thought. "Or if, like, I died or something, maybe Fang would die too because he would _have_ to switch back into his body, and then he'd be dead." She looked at me and frowned. "Ya know?"

This came as a smack to the face. What Nudge said made total sense, and suddenly, I thought this whole saving the world business should be put on hold. Yeah, the risks were high before, but now with the possibility of us all dying because of one person, it seemed like we were just asking to get shot in the chest. And if I needed to be some kind of sacrifice to save the world, I normally would have. But I would NOT bring the flock down with me. It wasn't an option.

_Neither is the idea of you even thinking about sacrificing yourself._ The sudden thought was loud and sounded angry.

I sped up and kept pace with Fang near the front of the Flock. _If it saved the world or you guys, it would be. _I thought back at him, getting frustrated at the fact that he read my mind more than Angel did.

_We'd find a way around it. But sacrificing yourself is not up for debate. It would never happen._ His wing tips brushed mine. _Never, okay? So don't even think about it._

I sighed and flew ahead of him a little, still looking back._ No. You don't worry about it. It was just a passing thought. I wouldn't, really. _I thought with as much conviction as I could muster. Then I blocked my mind, which probably didn't help my case.

Fang's eyes narrowed dangerously. Just when I thought he was going to say something out loud, Nudge shrieked, "Land! Oh, Land, never have I thought I'd be so happy to see you!" She adjusted Angel in her arms.

"Me either!" Iggy said, grinning at the fact that it was actually possible for him now. Gazzy mumbled something unintelligible, probably lucky that I hadn't caught it. He tucked the newest of his exploding contrapions in his shirt, most likely with an infinite stash of others he'd made.

Angel squirmed in Nudge's arms, wiggling her legs free. "I think I'm okay to land on my own now if it makes it easier."

Nudge looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure?" Her eyes glanced at her curled fists and white knuckles, fighting against pain. Angel nodded hastily and pushed out of Nudges grasp, easily moving her wings out and catching air.

"Geez, Nudge." Angel sighed. "Thanks for saving my life and everything, but next time, could you hold me a little more gently?"

She nodded cooperatively, not one for sarcastic comments after every sentence. Her dark black eyes widened. "Ooo! Max! Look at the sunset!" She fluttered up with a new energy. A flash of pink shot up from distant buildings, over laced with orange and purple. "We're finally here!"

Within minutes, we were there landing on some deserted cliff area with a forest a few hundred feet inland. Gazzy bent over and kissed the ground. "Something I can touch! I never thought I'd say this, but I am sick of flying." He laid down and rolled onto his back. "So now where do we go?" He asked making perfect dirt-angels in the dust with his wings.

Angel bent over him and drew a halo over his head. "We sleep here tonight." She said.

* * *

I'd helped the others unpack the sleeping bags from our packs. Soon we had a small fire going and we were roasting s'mores with the stuff Fang had picked up from the nearest store.

"Mmmm." Nudge sighed. "These are so good!" Her her mouth was full of marshmallow and the white mush in her teeth made her look like some kind of monster.

"They better be." Fang said gravely. "I almost got into a fight with the cashier lady."

"What?" I asked. "How?"

He laid back and patted his stomach. "The lady thought I was too young and had a fit when I pulled out the wad of cash. She thought I stole it or something." He licked the rest of the stickiness off his fingers. "Anyway, she was asking me where my mother was. And I told her she was in the restroom. So the lady told me I had to wait, and I didn't want to so I said some things a seven-year-old should never say." He shrugged his shoulders. "Guess she didn't like that. I was getting tired of the woman and just kind of... persuaded her - as Angel would say - into giving me the freaking groceries for free."

"Fang!" I hit him playfully on the arm.

Iggy pinched Fangs cheeks. "Aww. The wittle baby didn't wanna throw a tempwer tantwum." He patted his head. "Good girl! You're growing up so fast!"

Fang grinned. Suddenly, Iggy let go and he smacked himself in the face.

"Hey!" He protested.

Fang shrugged again. "Don't mess with a mind controling seven-year-old. Didn't that story teach you anything?"

"You're not setting a very good example for our _real _mind-controlling girl." I said, wagging my finger at him.

He turned his head to me, stuck out his bottom lip and blinked big blue eyes at me. "So-wwy, Mommy."

Everyone couldn't help cracking up.

Out of nowhere, Fang cursed. He shook his head and shouted, "No!"

We all turned to look at him. He was giving Iggy a horrified, wide-eyed expression. "What's up?" Angel asked.

Fang slowly turned his head to look at us. "Iggy was wondering if the whole 'human fart being flammable' theory is true." He blinked in shock. "He wants to test it out."

Nudge exhaled quickly, sprang up, and ran screaming into the woods. "Will there be no mercy?!" Her voice faded as she tried to get as far away as possible.

"No, Ig." Fang said. "Don't do it, dude. It's not worth finding out."

Gazzy was jumping up and down excitedly. "I bet it is! Do it!"

Angel raised her hands defensively. "I'll watch from a distance." She said, making her way into the sky.

Fang leaned over toward me. "He's blocking me. He's gonna do it. There's no changing his mind!" He pushed passed me and shot up into the air after Angel. "Get into the air! Every man for himself!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. I followed quickly to where the two of them were hovering a good two hundred feet away.

"I'll be at your funeral!" Angel shouted down to them. "You're both gonna blow up!"

And then our campfire exploded and was as big as a one story house for about two seconds. The flames died quickly, and Iggy jumped over the cliff edge with his pants on fire, flames trailing behind him. He made a perfect dive into the ocean and came up whooping and hollering. Gazzy flew out to meet him. "That... was... AWESOME!"

Ig's grin was huge. "How do you know?"

Gazzy was spazzing out. "'Cuz I heard it, and felt it!" He held out his fist and Iggy bumped it. "We are sooo making bombs with that!"

Angel flew down to them. "You guys are nuts. And Iggy, get some new pant's on, you burned a hole in them and you're showing my brothers butt off to the world."

"Oh." Ig's face reddened in embarrassment. "Be right back."

He flew to his bag and ran into the forest.

The rest of us that were left in the air landed back at the blackened ground of our camp site. Nudge came out of the woods. "Oh, no!" She held her nose. "Now it smells like burned fart! It's even worse!"

I wrinkled my nose against he smell. It was awful, but bearable. Fang sighed, shaking his tangled blonde curls. I reached in my bag and tossed him a hair brush. He caught it. "Brush your hair, Fang. I'm sure Angel doesn't want to switch back into a body with a shaved head just because you don't take care of it."

He breathed in exasperation. "What if I told you I don't know how to use one of these?" He asked, smirking and dangling it out in front of him as if he'd never seen a plastic hairbrush before.

"You'd figure it out and use it anyway." I said building the fire back up to a normal blaze.

He sighed, defeated. "Okay, Mommy."

By the time the fire was in decent shape, everyone was back in their sleeping bags. I was almost asleep, and Fang was on watch, when Angel finally yawned and said, "We leave in the morning guys. To Paris."

I don't know why, but this made me kind of mad. Angel seemed like she was trying to take over my role as leader lately, yet _again. _"Angel, why are we even here?" I sighed for the millionth time. "We all just flew ten hours. We deserve to know."

"I can't tell you." She whispered.

"Angel..." I said annoyed.

Angel glanced at me. "The Voice... it said not to..."

I was about ready to smack her, even if she was in my body. Her excuse was always 'the Voice this, the Voice that'. I became aware of me starting to 'lose my cool', because Iggy's sleeping bag zipper was going haywire, and the keychain attached to Fang's back pack was straining toward me, dragging it's way across the ground.

"I'm sorry, Max."

I ripped one of my sleeves angrily. The backpack responded by shooting past me and over the cliff edge. Iggy lept off to catch it. "Angel! If you tell me that one more time..."

"Max." Fang warned. "Calm down." He gave me a pointed look. _I'll see what I can find out, okay?_

I clenched my hands into fists and then released them again and again. Angel walked over and grabbed my hand. "I wish I could tell you." She whispered. "But I really shouldn't. I don't want the Flock to separate again. That's what the Voice said. If I told you, you'd leave."

"What?" I asked. "Angel, sweety, I'd never leave you guys! Never! No matter what that thing in your head tells you!" I was no longer mad at her, but I wanted to punch the Voice's lights out. How dare it put those kinds of thoughts in her head?

"But I believe it." Angel said, barely audible. "I think you really would."

Suddenly, I wanted so bad to hug her, cry, yell, and smash some heads together all at once. Instead I walked away so I wouldn't do something I regretted. Iggy did the Star Wars theme song as I stomped into the woods. "But Luke! I am your Father!" I didn't glanced back at him. What did that have to do with anything?

* * *

ANGEL POV

_But she's mad at me._ She thought wildly to the voice. _I don't know what to do._

There wasn't even a pause before the Voice answered. Angel had been wondering lately what Max meant about the voice never answering a direct question. It had been answering everything and more. _Angel, you know how she'd react if we told her our plans._

_Your plans!_ She thought near tears. Max didn't get angry at Angel like this, like the way she was now. The only other time was when she told Max that Fang would be the first to die. _They're your plans, not mine!_

_And you're following through with them. _The Voice sounded calm.

Angel was shaking in her sleeping bag, not from the cold, but from the fear running through her. _I am! I am! So, just don't do it, okay? Don't do that to Dr. Martinez and Ella!_

_I won't. _The Voice replied. _Just make sure the Flock brings him in tomorrow. Dylan, has to be back in the Flock with you all, or else he might go through with some other... less fortunate plans. I'm sure you don't want Max's mother and sister to go through the same torture Ella's poor father is going through._

_I'll make sure we pick him up. _Angel agreed feverishly She couldn't believe Ella's father was alive. And more than that, she couldn't believe what was in effect. Would Dylan really do that again? Be that horrid and help those people? And why include Max's biological family?

One thought kept ringing in her ears. The one the Voice wouldn't let her forget. _Fang will be the first to die._ Angel had hoped she'd be wrong, but the Voice assured her that her prediction was true.

_That's right, Angel._ The Voice soothed. _I __know you don't want it to be this way, but Fang will have to go._

Angel's silent tears landed in her hair. The hair that shouldn't have been hers. She knew she would do whatever it took to stop what the Voice had planned, because she was Max now, and it was up to her to stop was was happening.

But the question was, How do you outsmart something that was busy hearing your every thought?

_You don't._

* * *

_**I just wanted to let you guys know that I draw! I drew my profile pic. It's not my best drawing, but it gives you an idea of what I can do. So If you want me to draw you a picture, I can try. Just message me the details of what you want, and I'd be happy to make you one!**_

**MAJOR! **I have a HUGE question for you! I'm thinking about bringing a new member into the flock as a requirement from the Voice. Maybe someone for Nudge to finally have a relationship with, one that doesn't end with the guy running away and screaming in terror... so, what do you think about that idea? Should he have wings or no wings? Should there even be a new guy? I just felt really bad that she ended up single after those stupid "boyfriends" of hers.

**Also, I know ya'll probably have better things to do, and better fanfics to read, but could you please review? I've got so many viewers, and only twelve reviews, and I'm starting to wonder if it's because you don't like this story. Even If you don't, let me know! It's killing me not knowing! I don't know. I know I sound like a whiney baby, but that's probably because I am one. Anyway, I hope you guys have a wonderful spring break whenever it is, 'cuz I know we all need one! Happy Spring! Yayyyy!**

**Erasers may be coming too! Maybe...**


	4. Why didn't ya'll wake up?

**So... What's up ya'll!? Random thought of the day: When was the last time I drew a face around my bellybutton? I'm a weirdo, I know, You don't even have to tell me.**

**And, I don't know if you all do this when you write stories, but I get really obsessive about checking how many reviews I have. So, every time I log on, I tell myself "Now, Jinx **(My nickname, 'cuz I'm known for my clutziness and seem to always manage to hurt myself in a harmless situation)**, don't be getting your hopes up. You know that number of reviews isn't going anywhere." ~So, what do I do? Of course, I can't help hoping, so when I see the number hasn't changed, I feel like crying.**

**I love reviews! It keeps me going. I've always hated it when people say "no updates until I get at least _ more reviews." It makes me feel mad because I want an update anyway, and I don't want to force ya'll into anything. I like reviews when you mean it. Maybe send in some reviews just because you want to make me smile? Only if you want to though! I'm not threatening you guys at all! **

******When you guys review for me, don't be afraid to recommend one of your own fan fictions to me! I want to read them, but I want to try and read a little of everybody's 'cuz I love reviewing for other people!**

**Oh, and sorry, but this chapter is kind of serious. But that's okay, it explains a lot! And the next chapter should have some more humor in it!**

* * *

Oh, sugar-honey-iced-tea! He was coming after me, and I was pinned. This Eraser was huge and its abnormally large size intimidated me more than the usual ones did. The Eraser was different in several ways. It had black grimy fur that twisted away from its body at odd angles instead of the sleek brown or grays 'native' to their kind. And this one, it had wings like most of the newer versions, but they seemed like they were actually meant to be there instead of patched on. Saliva dripped continuously from a large pink tongue that dangled between razor sharp teeth, and I realized that this one looked more wolf than most others.

I grabbed the nearest thing to me in the empty cave. The rock was sharp and jagged on both sides. It would easily cut my skin, but do nothing to the beast in front of me, so I dropped it. I'd have to find a better one, but I didn't peel my eyes away from the glowing eyes in the shadows. This one was alone, and was taking it's time on making it's way toward me. I fumbled around on the ground blindly for something that would help me. My hand made contact with a spear, no doubt left here by the Indian tribe that came through often. I raised it and pointed it at the looming shape.

It stepped closer and its face became visible. I gasped and my chest constricted.

Fang.

The wolf growled somewhere deep in it's throat and curled its lips back over the glistening white incisors. This was definitely a wolf, but also undeniably Fang. I knew this somehow deep in my gut. "Fang!" I called out. His dark black eyes narrowed and his claws scraped the ground as he stepped closer still snarling.

I lowered the spear and heard it clatter to the ground. "Fang, what happened?"

And that's when he lunged, landing square on my shoulders, and the last thing I saw was a flash of teeth.

I jumped awake screaming and screaming. I shrieked again in distress, feeling my face to make sure it was still there. A hand came over and clamped down tight on my mouth. My screaming was stopped abruptly.

"Shhhh." Someone hissed.

My first instinct was to fight. I'd woken up with my mouth covered before, and that was not an experience I wanted to relive. I ended up twisting the hand off my mouth, and was getting ready to roll to the side and yank the person's arm out of it's socket, but the person was prepared. They twisted with their hand, pulled free, and shoved me to the ground.

"Dammit!" I heard Fang's harsh whisper.

I blinked several times trying to remember who was in his body. "Nudge?" I asked sitting up, glad that Fang wasn't really awake to here me screaming his name. "Since when did you start cursing?"

"Nope, not Nudge." Whoever was in him said. They shook their hand out. "It's actually really me. I'm Fang."

I rubbed my eyes more thoroughly. "What? Have we all switched back?"

"Depends." He sighed. "Are you the real Nudge?"

I laid back groaning. "Why do _you_ get to switch back?"

He shrugged, flicked a pebble at me, and then disappeared. It was silent for several moments. "I could get used to this again." He said, materializing when he spoke. "Although I'm gonna miss being able to make you guys my slaves. It was really fun torturing you." He said smiling that lopsided grin that Nudge just couldn't manage to replicate when she was him. I had the sudden urge to kiss him.

"Smack me." I said, exhaling in a really annoyed gesture. I would _absolutely not_ kiss Fang if I was still Nudge.

"Why?" He asked, his grin fading. He was taking this time to disappear and reappear every other second. He was enjoying himself way to much.

"Maybe you can knock me back into my own body."

He turned to me and raised his eyebrows. "Smacking is for girls. Dudes punch."

I glared. "Whatever! Besides, you were a seven-year-old girl just a few hours ago!"

"My mommy said to never hit a person. It's not nice." He said mimicking Angel's voice as best he could.

I stood up and kicked dust at him. "Why do I ever bother arguing with you?" I reached up to rub my temples. "You're worse than the Voice."

Fang brushed the dirt off his hoodie. "Have you ever noticed that I always win the arguments?"

"Do not!" I protested.

Fang vanished again and didn't respond, which just made me mad. I kept kicking dirt at him, only to have it disappear as it came into contact with his skin.

"Uhg!" I sighed, still quiet enough to keep the others from waking up. "You're more annoying than Total."

Fang materialized and stayed that way. "Woof." He said, cracking a smile.

A for some reason, one thing connected to another - woof went to dog, dog to wolf, wolf to eraser, eraser to Fang. I stumbled back in surprise, my breath hitching in my throat. God, that dream! What had that been about?

In a split second Fang was up and in front of me, concern grazing his features. I was so caught up in the moment that I ducked and blocked, preparing myself for that flash of teeth to tear into me. "Max? What's wrong?"

His voice was all it took to bring me back to my senses. I unveiled my head from behind my arms blinking into normal Fang eyes. "Nothing." I almost stuttered. "Your face just scares me."

His eyes narrowed, knowing with just one glance at my face that he wouldn't get a word out of me. "Uh-huh." He side stepped around me. "Well, you've got Nudge's motormouth now, so you'll spill it eventually. I'm getting food. Be back in twenty." He was right. And I dreaded that. He lept into the air, his wings unfurling like dark ribbons. Or like Batman with his cape of doom.

The next thing I did was turn around and start kicking everyone awake. "Wake up! Are you guys nuts!" I emptied a water bottle on Iggy's head. "I was screaming and none of you woke up! Are you trying to let me get eaten by a man-eating..." I dwindled off not seeing anything the least bit threatening around.

"Moth?" Gazzy offered.

"Snail?" Angel suggested.

"Leaf?" Iggy asked, ticked off that his clothes were soaked. "I mean really, Max. All it seems we have to worry about is making sure that I'm nowhere near the campfire in case I fart in my sleep."

Gazzy snickered.

"Or you drowning us." Nudge piped up. At least I think Nudge would have to be in Angel's body at this point.

"Hold up." I said scanning the group of them. "Who's who?"

"I'm the same person I fell asleep as."

"Me too."

"Same."

"I'm Nudge." Angel's little form said. "Fang and I switched last night. It was really weird, because I was in the middle of this dream, and I saw this candy bar. But it wasn't a normal candy bar. It was a ginormous snickers bar and the Statue of Liberty was holding it, but she was also made of chocolate. And then I was thinking that there was, like, no way I'd be able to eat it all. And then Gazzy was there saying he was going to destroy it. And then it exploded. And then a melted chunk hit me in the face. The dream suddenly stopped, but it wasn't like a typical stop. It was more like Boom! And then this train sound-"

Iggy's had clamped on her mouth. "We get it Nudge. You swapped with Fang while in the middle of a really weird dream."

Nudge nodded against his hand. When he moved his hand away, Nudge tilted her head in concentration. "What's that noise?"

I scanned the area, but nothing caught my eye. "I don't hear anything."

"What'd you say?!" Nudge almost shrieked, wipping her head to face Iggy.

"Nothing!" His hands shot up in surrender.

"I am _not_ chubby for dreaming about chocolate! I'm skinnier than you!"

Iggy grabbed his hair. "Hey! Get out of my head!"

"We're not even in our own bodies." Angel pointed out helpfully. "So why are we comparing how skinny we are?"

And then Fang came in and saved the day, putting a stop to the argument. Wow, that's a first.

"Breakfast!" He smiled, well sort of. It was his crooked grin again.

"Gimme my McGrittle and bacon!" Iggy said, pushing forward.

I barely caught Nudge mutter, "Now who's chubby?"

* * *

Angel POV

"Paris!" Nudge sang, dancing while we swerved around clouds. "I can't believe it! Hey, Angel, remembered when Total had that really bad allergic reaction to some lady's perfume? And then when he sneezed, he bumped into that table and the glass of hot coffee spilled on him?"

"Yah." Angel sighed. She was too tired to even be listening what Nudge was rambling on about. Her worries about today had kept her up all last night. Today would be the day that Max might leave. Angel hoped desperately that she wouldn't. She promised she wouldn't. Angel wanted to hug Celeste really bad, but she'd pretended to outgrow it so Gazzy would stop making fun of her.

"Ha!" Nudge giggled. "I didn't know he knew so much French... French that was curse words." She giggled again. How could she have so much energy?

"Why didn't Total bug us to come along?" Max wondered aloud. "He would have killed to come back to Paris."

Fang glided up alongside her. "He wanted to keep it a secret, but I heard his mind before we left." He said mysteriously. Iggy added a dramatic 'Dun-dun-dun!'.

"What could possibly keep him from begging to go to France with us?" Max reasoned with him.

Fang paused, wondering if he should tell them all, but Nudge read his mind easily.

She gasped. "AKILA IS GOING TO HAVE PUPPIES?" Nudge almost fell from the sky. "TOTAL'S GOING TO BE A DAD!"

Fang face-palmed. "Forgot that she could do that now." He whispered to Max.

Max sighed. "I'm scared now that the NudgeChannel has the ability to hear every dark secret we have."

Everyone was celebrating happily and Angel wanted to too, but the Voice found this as a great time to butt in.

_Turn two degrees east._ It seemed to whisper in her ear. _You'll see a blue cafe. Land behind there, and Dylan will be waiting. He has brought along a friend that is planning on helping him with his motives. Niether of them know of the Flock's body swap yet._

Angel had learned that not responding to the Voice was easier. If she asked it a question, it only lead to scary answers. She couldn't help herself though as she wondered who the 'friend' might be. Someone from Itex?

_No._ The Voice answered. _Another hybrid like you all. Not exactly like you, but you'll find out._

The Flock banked around another cloud, and Angel spotted the cafe. "Going down!" She called. And then they descended toward what she knew was going to be Max's worst nightmare.

* * *

MAX POV

Why were we landing behind some really fancy cafe instead of entering it and getting some chow? Who knows? Why was I following blindly behind Angel who'd stabbed me in the back several times? Good question. And what was my reaction when the first thing I saw was Dylan? Well, here... let me tell ya.

"What the fudge is this!?" I shouted. Well, that's not exactly what I said, but it's a close enough translation to keep ya'll's innocence. I was seething, and honestly, I was so mad that I was actually hoping some Erasers would show up so I could strangle something. On second thought... maybe if Dylan came just a little closer... I could get my fingers around his throat.

There was a stunned silence as the Flock's gaze whipped back and forth disbelieving between Dylan and Angel.

Dylan stepped toward Angel and reached out to her. I stood by ridged with fury. "Max," He started, and stepped closer still facing Angel, "I'm so sorry for what I did to you." He went to take her hand, but she slapped him.

"I'm not Max!" She spat, then covered up her mouth like she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. Which it wasn't, because bringing me here was the biggest mistake.

Despite my anger, I couldn't help the laughter that poured out of my mouth at the look on Dylan's face. "You get him, sweetie!" I called out. "Left hook next!" Fang chuckled beside me.

She yelped, and then threw herself at him. _That's my girl. _I thought. _Tackle him to the ground! Make him beg for his life like he made me do for Fang!_ But that didn't happen, and the next thing that she did made me cry out in alarm. She... hugged him and apologized. "I'm so sorry, Dylan!"

"What!" I shrieked. I was trembling with so much rage that I forgot to harness in my powers. The nearest tin trashcan lid went flying right toward Dylan's head. Unfortunately, a kid with light cocoa-brown skin stepped forward and caught the lid a foot from pretty boy's perfectly tousled blonde hair.

"Who are you?" Nudge snapped, although, she seemed a bit awestruck.

"My name's Wake, and we need to talk."

"The Hell we don't!" I boiled. "You need to get your scrawny asses away from my Flock before I kill you both." I yanked Angel off of Dylan. "Come on, Angel. Back to the mission. Help me pretend we didn't show up here, so I don't do something I regret."

Angel pulled out of my grasp. "This is the mission, Max. Dylan's here to help us-"

That was the last straw. "I swear to whatever gods that are out there, that if _this_ is the reason that we flew _all the way across the Atlantic Ocean_ I'm gonna-"

"Calm, please." The kid named Wake sighed. He was obviously younger than Dylan, but not by too many years. He was maybe thirteen. "If you won't speak to him," he gestured to Dylan with a wave of his hand, "then speak to me."

"No." I backed up, ready to live up to my name as Maximum "Charging Off" Ride yet again.

"Don't leave!" Angel wailed.

"Wake has good intentions. He doesn't mean any harm." Nudge offered a bit too enthusiastically, and I think she blinked a bit too many times, too quickly. She narrowed her eyes at Dylan. "We've lived with Dylan too long, though. He's got me blocked."

"Don't worry." I patted Angel's shoulder. "I won't leave you guys, but we all are leaving this place, and we're going home to Mom." I turned to Nudge. "And thanks for the insight but we'll be leaving now.

"No." Angel fell onto her hands and knees, pleading with me. "Max, just trust me. We have to stay and listen, the Voice-"

"NO!" I shouted down at her. I didn't normally ever yell like this at Angel, but she'd dragged me across the Ocean just to say that the Voice said to trust Dylan. I was not a happy camper. At all. Like, not even a little bit.

She got up and walked over to the back-stabbing-killer, swaying as if her legs would give out. "Well, I'm staying. And I have your body, so you kind of have to too."

"Angel, I-" I started then stopped because I couldn't come up with any good punishments. I glared instead.

Dylan looked like he was finally catching on to what was going on. "What if I told you we found a way to destroy your Voice?" He asked.

This question had taken me aback. Could he have? Angel looked just as confused as I was. The Voice had sent us on a mission to destroy itself?

Dylan saw the obvious look of distrust on my face. He shook his head. "Not directly the Voice, but the School and the entire system program behind it. I was told we needed to take it out. We'd destroy the Voice in the process. That's how we save the world."

"But isn't the Voice from the School?" I asked. "Why would the School be telling us to blow it up?"

"It's not." Wake said. "You all were not created at the School, and neither was the Voice. The Voice is from where I come from - Rebels Against Weapon Reinforcement. I call them RAWR."

"We weren't born at the School?" Gasman asked.

Dylan shook his head. "I was, but you all weren't."

Fang stepped up. "This is starting to piss me off. You better start explaining real quick what this RAWR crap is about."

Ig snickered. "He said rawr."

Wake faced the brick wall and leaned on it with both his elbows. He rolled back his shoulder blades and wings protruded from beneath his five dollar Walmart hoodie. Instead of the long, feathery wings that I'd expected, they were dark black and almost velvety looking. They seemed intimidating, almost like a dragon's, yet so thin and delicate that it made me afraid to touch him in fear that they might tear like paper. "I'm two percent bat." He sighed. "RAWR didn't like how the School was creating living weapons and then attempting to sell them off... so they made mutants like us to stop them. I have a Voice. You have a Voice too, no?"

I shrugged. "Yah, but why would RAWR be making living weapons to stop stop living weapons?"

Wake turned to face us, his dark brown eyes young and innocent. "The School makes the Erasers, and RAWR creates us to stop them. The School sees how effective we are, and they keep trying to get ahold of us to see what makes us tick."

I was finally calming down, but this idea of another place like the School had my mind kicking into high gear, trying to sort out memories of what was possibly the School, and what was possibly RAWR. "They're both awful." I decided. "And you said the Voice is not a part of the School, so how does destroying the School destroy the Voice too?"

"It's like the Cold War." Nudge decided, reading the rest of the senario out of the boys' heads. "They both have attacks planned that will destroy each other. All it takes is one of them to make the first move and then the other will attack back before the real damage hits. Then they both go down. But neither of them wanted to take the chance yet. The School didn't want its new research on us destroyed and RAWR hadn't built up a big enough attack to totally bring them down." Nudge turned to me grinning. It was times like these that her ability to say everything on her mind came in handy. "We're the final straw that will break the camel's back. We are the butterfly that changes the world!" Nudge seemed giddy with excitement now. "It all makes sense, Max! They have been planning this since we were born! There won't be anymore scientists or Erasers trying to kill us! We'll finally be free."

"Sacrifices will need to be made." Dylan warned. "Innocent lives will be lost."

"We'll find a way to save them." I assured him actually happy enough to not be screaming at him and shoving a sword down his throat. "We can actually make a difference. We can make it through, and nothing can stop me from killing every single one of those monsters that are always threatening us."

And maybe if I was still on my guard and not too ecstatic giving hugs to my family, I might have actually heard Dylan mutter, "You don't know what you're saying. One of those monsters is with you now." But I hadn't been listening, so I hadn't even heard him say that it was Fang.

* * *

**Yay. So excited! I honestly have had no idea where this story has been going since chapter 1, but I think I'm finally getting a clue. Why is Max having dreams about Fang becoming an Eraser? What is Dylan's plan exactly? Where is Ella's dad and how does Angel plan on getting him back? And who is this new 'Wake' kid?**

**Oh and a shout out goes to SoNotPerfect ! This person is an awesome reviewer and they have a Maximum Ride fan fiction on here called The Search. It's really great. Fang leaves the Flock (gasp! don't worry, it's for a good reason this time), and then the entire Flock's memory gets erased (oh, no!). The only thing Max remembers is Fang and she sets out to find him (awww! so cute!). Eeeep! Yay, again! So... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? GO CHECK IT OUT! And make sure you review for them! Pwwwease?**


	5. Fangirl Nudge and Meany Fang

**Yay for the weekend! Yay for free time! Random thought of the day: How many times have I ever blinked?**

**I just wanna say, ya'll are absolutely great, but I'm also kind of sad. I only got a teensy-weensy amount of reviews for the last chapter. I'm getting less and less! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? -weeps- I HAVE FAILED YOU!  
**

**Tell me what you want from me!**

**I have the next chapter already typed up, and I think I'm posting it on Monday. But, let's have a race! I can also ****put the next chapter up as soon as I get t****en reviews! Which ever comes first!**

**SO... ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?! GO, GO, GO! :)**

* * *

MAX POV

I can't believe Nudge talked me into this. I just can't believe it.

"Max! This way!" Nudge reached up and grabbed my hand dragging me through even more of the crowd. All she had to do was think about it and the sea of fangirls split like Moses parting the sea. "Isn't he amazing!?"

"What!?" I yelled over the roar of the music. Angel was laughing beside me, looking like she was actually enjoying herself for the first time since the body swap. Her happiness was the only reason I was still there.

"Never mind!" Nudge squealed. Some kind of british boy band was on world tour and Nudge had this mysterious way of talking about one of them like he was a god. So to shut her up from the inside of my brain and out, I'd agreed to come. But this was a standing room only, and there was too much screaming. I can't even tell you about the claustrophobia getting ready to make me puke on the highness himself from over thirty feet away.

"Nudge, I think we should leave now!" I tried to call over the noise. She looked at me, confused. I thought again inside my head this time while tapping my temple. _I want to leave._

Nudge shook her head 'no' like a madwoman. _But I was gonna get him to pull me up onstage! He was going to sing to me!_

I looked at her hard. _How is it that the youngest one in the flock has been the most mature about using their power of mind control?_

Nudge shrugged and then screamed with glee when the main singer reached out for her hand. "Best day of my life!" She shouted, and then was dancing around the stage, making a total fool of herself. And I wasn't going to stop her. If there was one thing that I've learned over the years of living with Fang and his blog, It's that you _NEVER get in the way of a major fangirl._

"I'm going to go home." I hollered into Angel's ear. "I guess I'll go check on Fang. The boys are probably driving him nuts."

Angel shook her head. "I'm sure he's fine. Stay with me and marvel at my dancing skills!" She laughed, pointing to Nudge who was doing... _the worm._

"When did she learn to do that!?" I asked bewildered. Angel raised her eyebrows and gave me the gooffiest look, that I couldn't help cracking up with her.

She elbowed me to get my attention. "She better calm down with those dance moves." Angel and I watched her do the sprinkler. "She's going to steal the show!"

We burst into more laughter when she leapt onto the drummers lap. The look on the drummer's face told us that he clearly wasn't under Nudge's influence yet. But, that was changed soon enough.

Angel gave me a high five. And that's when I noticed my ring wasn't on her finger. The promise ring Fang had given me. "Why's it off?" I asked, grabbing her hand and pulling on her middle finger where I always wore it.

She gave me a bashful look. "It kept getting caught on things and I didn't want to lose it. I left it back in the hotel." She confessed looking even guiltier by the time she finished explaining. "I'm sorry."

I ruffled her hair, which was awkward, since technically it was my hair and no one ever dared to ruffle my hair. "It's okay."

Angel hugged me for a quick second before giving me a pleading look. "Just stay for the rest of the concert please!"

I looked up in time to see Nudge leap off the stage and start crowd surfing. She really was having the best day of her life.

"Fine." I smiled. "I'll stay."

And we did... until the security finally caught on.

* * *

FANG POV

I was checking up on my blog and responding to as many reviewers as I could, when suddenly the screen snapped shut. I yanked my fingers back just in time before they were crushed permanently to the letters "j" and "k" on the keyboard.

"I have used the force on your strange human device." Max said. When I turned around she was standing in the doorway with one hand at her temple and her other hand reaching out like she was some Jedi from Star Wars. She let her hands drop. "Hey, handsome."

I waved a hand. "Hello. Welcome back to the nut house we call our temporary-home." I shifted around on the bed until I was completely facing her. "Is there something you wanted?"

She shrugged. "Big news. I have the hiccups for the first time in my life."

I nodded my head and applauded. "That _is_ big news. _And_..." I said, waiting for the real answer.

"Well it's just that..." she faded out, wandering closer until she was standing next to me and frowning. "It's just that... SNEAK ATTACK!" Her hands flew up and lodged themselves at my armpits, wiggling her fingers. Then they flew to my neck.

"Max, what are you doing?" I asked, completely unfazed by whatever she was trying to do.

Her face was twisted and she was biting her lip in concentration. "You'll see. Just give me a second to find it." Her fingers wriggled their way to my sides.

"Find what?" I asked, still helplessly confused.

"Your tickle spot." She leaned back, finally giving up. "I promised myself I would find it, but I think I'd have better luck trying to tickle a brick." She frowned, and then hiccupped.

"You're crazy." I said, pushing her lightly.

She smiled. "So I've been told." She picked at a strand of my hair and twisted it. She almost sat on my lap, but thought better of it, because that usually led to more pleasant things that we wouldn't do with the body swap still going. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "So what were you doing on the computer? Making sure you fans aren't trying to track you down and claim you as their own?"

"Yah. Same old followers, but I haven't even posted in the past six months." I opened the computer back up and looked at a comment that someone had sent in earlier today. "These people are dedicated."

"Hardcore." She snickered, then pointed to another comment that had someone asking me to marry them. "Don't these people know you're taken?"

I glanced at her and smirked, all of my thoughts spoken through that one gesture. Whenever I turned my eyes back to her, I still had the hardest time with the idea that it was Nudge's body sitting next to me and not really Max. If I didn't look at her, I'd never know the difference. Max still acted like Max, and Nudge (even when she had my body for two days) still acted like Nudge.

"You found some sweatpants." I noticed.

Max looked down and it took a second for my statement to register. "Oh yeah!" She tilted her head to the sky and threw her arms up. "Thank God! I was going to go insane, but Nudge stopped by the store today and picked these up for me. She felt bad that I only had skirts and dresses to wear."

"Only one pair?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yah. She didn't want to _persuade_ the people into giving her too much free stuff, unlike _someone_ I know." She said standing up and wandering to the desk in the bedroom. She picked up a book labeled Twilight. I guess Nudge had decided to drop by my room at some point, because I kept finding her stuff randomly around the house. "Ya know," Max started up walking the book over to me, "Nudge said that if you smashed all of these character's powers in this book together, you get Angel. Mind reading, future seeing, controlling people's feelings, kinda shaped shifting." She paused. "I think there was something else too." She opened the book and started to leaf through it. "Oh, yeah. They can stay under water forever, but it's not exactly - ow!" She hissed while turning the page. "Shoot. Paper cuts are the stupidest things to bleed from."

She wiped the blood off on her pant leg. "Anyway, what do you say about the whole 'Angel theory' against this book?"

I would loved to have answered, but my eyes had decided to suddenly start burning, and I felt like if I had answered, my stomach was going to vomit inside itself. My throat itched and my breathing was quickly picking up in pace.

"Fang? Are you okay?" Max asked.

I nodded. "Great." Because now I felt like I was running a 120° fever.

She gave me a look that told me I'd better speak up and tell her the truth, but I didn't.

"Tell me, or face the consequences!" She said, waving her hands like she was going to karate chop something.

This scared me a little, but not because of the threat. Each time her hand passed in front of my face, I could actually smell the blood from her paper cut. My vision blurred, and eventually the smell became too overpowering. I jumped back from her, falling face first into my blankets to cover the odor, and I immediately felt better.

"Alright, Fang. I'm not joking anymore." She said, thinking I was only playing along with her show. "Really, what's wrong? And don't try and hide it, 'cuz your not getting away with it."

As she started to roll me back over, and my face was unmasked from the comforter my eyes burned again, and my breathing started coming short and fast. "Get out!" I shouted suddenly, surprising even myself.

"Fang?"

"GET OUT!" I snapped. Harshly. That wasn't the way I had meant for that to sound at all. Max backed off the bed, looking hurt, and I wanted to shoot myself for putting that look on her face.

She backed halfway to the door saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Just..." my stomach gave a sharp twist, "leave..." I breathed heavily and threateningly. Whatever was happening must not have been pretty to look at.

Max's eyes widened in pain and disbelief before she turned and bolted for the door. As soon as she was gone, my breathing returned to normal, and I felt fine. I hadn't meant for any of what I said to come out that way when I was talking to Max. She was tough, but when it came to me, for some reason everything I said always hit her hard.

My blood still felt like it was boiling, but other than that I was perfectly fine. The blood smell still seemed to be lingering, though. I put my hands in my hair, feeling like a total ass for talking to Max that way. I had one dominating thought running through my head.

What the Hell just happened?

* * *

NUDGE POV

Jeez. He was so totally cute, but so annoying too. Why did he have to be with the traitor? And why did I have to be stuck in a seven-year-old's body? I guess it was better than still being stuck as Fang, but being myself would be so awkward like this.

"What's wrong?"

Oh no, oh no, oh no! That was his voice! Umm. What do I say? "Nothing."

He sat down on the couch all the way on the farthest side from me, his eyes trained on the TV. Without looking away, he raised an eyebrow. "Why lie?"

"I'm not lying." I lied.

He smiled to himself, and then picked up a can of soda from the coffee table in front of him. "Does your family teach each other to lie?"

"I'm not lying!" I protested again.

He took a sip of his coke before placing it back on the table. "Okay, fine." He said laughing to himself and holding his hands up in surrender. "I never said you did. I was just asking questions."

I breathed out trying to calm myself and my annoying heartbeat, and then peeled my eyes off the side of his face, only managing for a second before my gaze was back on him. He hadn't even glanced at me once during this whole conversation. And I felt that the way he talked to me was so rude.

As if on cue, he turned to look at me, smiling. "Which one are you normally?"

His smile made my mind go blank, and for once in my life, I was speechless.

"I'm sorry for being the way I am. I have lived on my own my whole life." He explained while shifting to put his feet up on the couch and face me completely. "I'm not the best at speaking with people. Your family does seem very nice though."

"I'm the twelve-year-old dark-skinned girl." I said, finally answering his previous question. "And I like to read." I don't know why I added that last part, but I couldn't quite remember how to say what my mind wanted me to.

His smile broadened. "I'm not sure if this is how you tell someone, but if that is you, you are a most beautiful creature."

Dang it. I knew I was blushing, especially with Angel's pale skin. "That's not normally how people talk." I tugged at the blonde hair on my head, ticked that it wasn't mine. Then I paused. I was speaking in really short sentences. When did I ever do that?

Then that train sound hit me hard, and it was like I was being knocked out. I recognized the feeling from when I switched out of Fang's body. I looked down, and in the next second, I finally found myself in my own body. Fast and nothing fancy. I blinked quickly. Max must be in Angel's body now. _And poor Angel._ She hadn't even gotten to be herself, and everyone else was getting the chance to be her.

I checked the mirror. I was in the bathroom, and my cheeks were streaked with tears. Max must've been crying when we switched. My stomach dropped. When Max cried, it was only because she was really upset. Tears didn't come easy from her.

After wiping away the tears, I slowly made my way into the living room. "Max?" I asked hesitantly.

She looked to me confused and then groaned. "Whatever." She said, leaving. "I'm sick of this." She left quickly, keeping debate out of the question.

When she was gone, I sat back down on the couch. "So, uh, I'm me now."

He nodded his head. "That's good." A faint smile took over his features. "I like how your wings match your eyes."

"Stop it." I said hastily.

"Stop what?" He asked shocked.

"Complimenting me. I don't trust you." I summarized. "You are, like Dylan's sidekick or something." I started, snapping out of my daze. "You two probably have some plan to kill Fang and are getting Erasers to follow us. Dylan's like some creepy stalker, and now you are most likely helping him. And part of the plan is to get me to be really trusting with you guys. But what I don't get is what maybe your plan is for Iggy and Gazzy. Angel too, but she's probably been in on this whole scheme since the beginning, so she must be a traitor still, and dragging Dylan into this twice just wasn't enough for her. Because the first time, Fang died. And the second time, Fang left. And she even kicked Max out of the flock once, which was totally a bad idea, if you ask me. And I think-" I stopped myself, realizing that something was out of place. What was wrong with this picture?

"Yes?" Wake said. "What is wrong?"

And that's when I noticed. "No one ever lets me go on that long. Iggy says I'll make his ears shrivel up and die." I covered up my mouth. "You should have stopped me."

Wake scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "Why? Is that people do to each other?"

I hesitated. "No."

"Then I don't see why I shouldn't hear what you have to say." He said with genuine honesty. "It's quite entertaining to hear the assumptions you come up with, although, I can assure you that none of it is true. I have never lied in my life. It's my pet peeve."

I stared at him with my mouth hanging wide open. "Never? Like, not even for a car? Because we've stolen a lot of cars."

"I said lie, not steal." He grinned. "Big difference."

"Oh." I said, and again, for the second time in my life, I was speechless. What kind of weird mind powers did this kid have? My mouth moves even when I tell it not to, so now that I wanted it to, why wasn't it? I took a sip of my own soda.

He seemed to debate something in his head before finally saying, "I like you."

And then I sprayed the TV with my spit. "No you don't." I said quickly. "You can't."

He tilted his head in confusion. "Why not? I spent yesterday with Fang, Angel, and Iggy. I like them too. You all are very nice."

"Never mind." I said, upset and yet relieved at the same time. "I thought you meant the other kind of 'like'. That would have been totally weird." I took another sip.

"I don't know, maybe it is that kind of 'like' for you."

I did another spit take.

Wake shrugged. "Like I said, I've always lived on my own. I've never stayed one place for more than a week at a time and I have never actually got to know anyone. I'm not sure I know the difference."

"Wake!" I complained. "Nobody talks like that!"

He crushed his soda and stood up doing a fist pump with sudden happiness. "Yes! I've been upgraded from a 'spy' to a 'nobody'. If I'm right, that's a huge step in the right direction." He winked. "It's only been twenty-four hours, but I think i'm grow'n on you."

"Are not!"

He tsked. "Denial!" He sang, leaping into the kitchen.

I jumped over the side of the couch after him. "You have no idea what you're talking about." I said giving him a look.

He took my trash and threw it away for me. "Actually, I do. You see, just like Fang can turn invisible, I can tell when your lying."

I eyed him skeptically as he leaned on the counter facing me. "I have a scare behind my left ear." I said testing him.

"Lie." He replied.

I nodded. "Okay. My favorite color is blue."

"Lie." He said as if bored.

"I like hamburgers."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, truth."

I thought hard about one that might slip him up. "I have a talking dog that loves to talk politics and culture."

He scrunched his eyebrows. "Oddly enough, you're telling the truth."

I laughed aloud at the face he was making. Soon he was cracking up too. "Fine." I said. "So how does it work?"

"What? Magic?" He asked smiling his blinding smile.

"No." I said, straightening up and crossing my arms over my chest. "Fang turns invisible by sitting still, so how do you know when I'm lying?"

"You really wanna know?" He asked seriously. I nodded. He waved me closer to tell his secret. "Well, it starts by-"

He cut himself off by pecking my cheek with a kiss, and then laughing like a madman as he leapt out the window.

"WAKE!" I screeched in shock, happiness, and anger all at the same time. I was out after him in a split second, following his unique, delicate, gorgeous, dark, dreamy, powerful wings. Yeah, I was totally lying when I said he wasn't growing on me. "You get back here this second!"

"Why?" He called back over his shoulder, still cackling with laughter. "One kiss wasn't enough for you?"

"You're gonna regret you said that!" I shouted.

He dived downward. "Catch me if you can!"

"I'LL GET YOU!"

Suddenly Wake stopped and spun around. I back peddled hard so I wouldn't run into him. He gave a huge smile. "You just told a lie." He winked again, before dropping like a stone.

Fine. I admit. He was kind of cute. For a 'nobody' anyway...

* * *

**Wooo! Yay! So whatchya think about Nudge and Wake? Yes? No? Hmmm...**

**So... _let me know by those reviews!_**

**And Fang's problem will be "explained" in the next chapter!**

**Dun-dun-dun...**


	6. Rainbows & Dylan's Peek-A-Boo-of-DOOM

**Wow, just wow. I got those reviews! Thanks soooo much! And as reward, here's the next chapter a day early! By the way, I went back and reread my first chapter... and it sucks! How are ya'll still with me? Thanks for your dedication!**

**Random thought of the day: How am I such a genius?**

**Here's the answer. I'm told to mop the kitchen, but the little Swiffer-spray-thingy isn't working and is making me mad. So I come up with the solution of taking the sink hose aiming it as random places and switching the faucet on and off. Yup, genius. And to top it off, I sprayed anything that happened to be walking by, so my apologies to the cat and I'm glad I could make one of my dogs happy (she loves the water).**

**Where was Dylan in that last chapter? Making evil plans no doubt. Or do we actually trust him? Hmmm... And there's a reason for that little tid-bit of Max noticing her promise ring was off in the last chapter.**

**And nowwwwww... time to find out what's up with Fang, although, surely you've all guessed it by now. AND THIS WAS A CONCERN, SO I MUST SAY THAT FANG WILL NEVER BE A BAD GUY!**

* * *

**(A/N: I forgot to mention in the last chapter that they all got an apartment and are crashing there! Ooops. Forgive me please. I just kinda skipped over that.)**

GAZZY POV

"Pass me the red wire. It's somewhere in that pile." Iggy said.

I smiled. This was one of the few things that wasn't affected by my blindness. Actually, it was kind of easier. I shoved my hands elbow deep in the bucket of wires and I felt like I was going into a sensory overload. "Is this what it feels like to touch rainbows?" I asked, dead serious.

There was no response.

"Dude, I totally get how you feel when people nod or shake their head at you now. It's really frustrating." I pulled out the wire that felt red and handed it to him. "So, now in words, tell me."

"Sorry, man. I totally forgot. I've never had to worry about another blind person before. Shrugging just comes natural." He paused and I could hear a bolt being tightened. "I honestly don't know Gaz. I've never actually seen a rainbow. Not even a drawing. The only time I could ever see was back at the school, and there wasn't much to see there. I've only had sight for the past two days, and I don't think rainbows just appear everyday."

I didn't know smiles made a noise before this whole 'being blind' thing came about, but I could hear it on Iggy every time he talked about his new seeing. I thought about it for a moment. When you can't see, you start to notice the little things, like the way his voice had changed when he said the word 'rainbow'. "Do you wanna see one?" I asked, an idea forming in my head.

"What? A rainbow?" He asked, sounding even more like a kid, giddy with excitement. "Uh, yeah."

"Good." I said smiling. "'Cuz I wanna feel one too." I stood up, ready to sprint out back, and then groaned when I realized I'd need Iggy to take me. "We need to go out back and get a hose with one of those nozzle-things."

"Sure. Okay." Iggy grabbed my hand and I tripped along behind him. I really didn't know how he ever got around and kept up with us when running from Erasers.

I listened carefully for clues to keep myself on my feet. The creak of the door told me to lift my feet over the door jam. The delayed thud of his feet told me we were going down stairs a moment before I stepped off. And finally the whisper of feet brushing grass told me we'd made it around to the back of the apartment.

"Got the nozzle." Iggy confirmed. "Now what?"

"Turn it to mist." I said, twisting my wrist to demonstrate. "Make sure you turned on the main water source."

"Kay?"

"Pull the trigger! It's not that hard." I shifted toward the hissing sound of the water. "Hold it to the sun."

There was a long moment of silence before Iggy sighed. "I know this is going to sound really lame, but this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He gasped. "It disappears when I move it." He said concerned. "Is it supposed to do that?"

I actually laughed at this. It was weird that Iggy was a fifteen-year-old boy and was so fascinated in rainbows. "Yeah, Ig. They do that."

"Oh." He said his voice changing to thoughtful. "Here, it's back. Come step in front of me and touch it. I'm interested in what you have to say."  
I reached a hand out and Iggy guided it until I felt my hand get wet from the spray.

The bucket full of wires felt like a solid white piece of paper compared to this. This rainbow felt... "It's like a bazillion colors are screaming at me. Colors I didn't even know existed." I wiggled my fingers. "There's so much." I reached my other hand into the mist, and then a full blast hit me right in the chest. "Hey!" I protested angrily.

"You so should have seen this coming!" Iggy called happily.

I stomped toward his voice. "Well I can't see, so I couldn't have seen anything coming. Now stop spraying the blind kid!"

"Never!" Iggy crooned. "It's payback time!"

* * *

FANG POV

Iggy and Gasman both ditched me as soon as Max left with the girls to get some food, just like I'd expected them to. It was kind of tradition that when she was gone, they ran off to get more supplies for explosives. These were the few times when I found myself some quiet time.

Woods. Nature. I find myself most relaxed in places like these. When I sit still long enough, and my invisibility kicks in, it's actually pretty amazing what you see.

Ah, who am I kidding? It's not the nature I like, it's the... away from humans kind of deal. I guess that's how you'd put it. Anyway, this 'not being able to actually talk to Max' is killing me. How long has it been since we've actually... kissed? Forget it, I'm an idiot.

As I was walking, I had the strangest feeling of being watched. Now, I'm not a _complete_ idiot like those crazies in those movies - when they're all wandering around in the dark and feel like they're being watched, but they just keep on walking. I mean, _who does that_?

Instead, I turned around. A flash of feathers, and then nothing. Did I shrug it off and keep going? No.

I disappeared and waited.

"So you finally realized I've been following you." Dylan said hopping out of the top of one of the nearest trees.

"What do you want?" I asked stepping out of my hiding.

Dylan stepped even closer and dug the small tip of a knife into his wrist. My throat lurched and my stomach twisted, but it wasn't like I was going to throw up. I'd seen blood almost everyday of my life. Dylan held out his hand to let me see the red river drip from his fingertips. "This." He said simply. "This is what I want." He trotted nearer.

I growled. "Get back Dylan. What do you think your doing?" I covered my nose. He must not have washed in the past month, because I could smell him from ten feet away. "Since when did you start cutting yourself."

Dylan stopped in his tracks and shook his hand so the blood spattered the ground. A droplet hit my cheek and I hissed in disgust. This was traitor blood. "I was made to do this." He reasoned.

I backed up ready to just leave the wackjob behind. "What are you talking about. You're not making sense."

He smiled. "What if I told you Max was still meant for me?"

I growled again. "I'd rip your arms off."

Dylan nodded his head as if this was good news. "I'm glad to hear that." He squeezed more blood from his cut and my gut twisted painfully, harshly. "Because I like it when you get mad. It gives me an advantage." He held out Max's promise ring that I'd given her. I'd never seen it off her hand since I'd been back. I blinked in surprise and Dylan shook his bloody hand again. "She threw it away." He said with a sad smile.

"She wouldn't." I spat. "She... she wouldn't." I marched to him and shoved him. "You liar!"

His smile became wildly crazy, and he held up his hands in surrender. "Yes. I lie. But not about this."

I shoved him hard again, snarling.

"Max is mine." He smiled eerily.

And then I snapped. I went to charge, but this time when my fist came up, he dodged, shoving me against the nearest tree. "I'll kill you." I seethed.

"Great." Dylan said, and he wiped his bloody wrist over my mouth.

My stomach convulsed, and he stepped back. Actually, he practically ran. He stopped on the other side of the clearing, watching to see what I'd do.

What happened next scared the hell out of me. I fell to the ground and my body shut down, not responding to anything I wanted it to do. And the pain hit hard and fast. My bones felt like they were snapping all at once, and it felt like every inch of me was being struck with a flaming branding iron. It only lasted for a second, and then I was on my feet - all four of them. I had the overwhelming urge to rip the throat out of anything with a beating heart.

Dylan stepped from behind a tree clapping with glee. "It worked!" He shuffled excitedly.

My heartbeat was faster than normal, and thudding loudly in my ears. What had he done to me? I took a menacing step toward Dylan.

"Ah-ah-ah!" He said, wagging a finger at me. "You're an Eraser-Human-Avian hybrid now!" Dylan rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Now, before you make the decision to rip me to shreds, let me explain." He sat down and patted the grass beside him as if he was offering a seat to a friend. We were no where near being best buds. I stayed where I was at, so he continued. "It should be much easier for you to morph from now on. More unpredictable. Blood and anger triggered the transformation."

I went to ask how the transformation was even possible, but because of my anger, all that came out was a throaty, dark rumble.

"Now, Fido, don't get an attitude with me."Dylan said with his creepy ax-murderer smile. "We have much to discuss before you make any rash decisions." I backed up into a tree, and he continued yet again. "When you all went back to the school and got those wonderful new chips in your arms, I was being created. And since I was being made for Max, they needed a back up plan incase you all escaped. Eraser DNA was put into you so that way the Flock would see you as a danger and kick you out if you ran off." He paused and scratched his head thoughtfully. "It does take quite a lot to get you mad, but I think using Max was the key."

I stood up to take a good chunk out of his pride.

"Anyway," He went on without even a glance at me, "the others all have a few quirks in them now too. Of course, it's not the same as yours, but that radioactivity will surely speed up their... unfortunate problems. And what does any of this have to do with me?" Dylan picked a blade of grass and flicked it, uninterested. "Well, here's how this benefits me. Your predicament being that if you kill me, then Max will find you as an Eraser with a dead ally. She'll hate what you've become and then kill you. If you let me live, then I'll kill you and Max will see that I did it in only in self-defense." He shrugged. "Either way, you'll still end up hated and dead. And I'll end up with no hostility toward me."

My glare at him dropped and realization hit me. He was right. And if I killed Dylan, how could I trust myself around Max? Would I start some kind of killing frenzy.

"It's probably best if you just let me kill you." He said walking forward with his knife. "Easier for Max."

And I agreed. I couldn't hurt Max. In this state, who knew what I'd do? Just the everyday blood and a little anger thrown in and I could kill her? I laid on the ground, surprised at how wolf I was and how hopeless I felt. I had a flashback to yesterday, hearing Max's voice. _Nothing can stop me from killing every single one of those monsters that are always threatening us. _And now I was one of those monsters.

"Yay!" Dylan said, finally reaching me. "I told you I was meant for her." And then he raised the knife and I stared into his eyes the whole way, letting him know I wasn't a coward. And then the knife came down aiming for my heart.

"No you (bleeped-out series of curse words)!" An extremely loud voice called out, and Dylan's knife hit something else.

* * *

WAKE POV

Part bat. Never in my life have I ever been happy for being what I was. Every sound killed my ears because of how sensitive they are, and so I never spoke above a certain tone.

And the wings! They were such a pain to hide.

But none of this mattered today. I'd heard Dylan's heart speed up when he told me he was going out for a fly. A faster heart beat is a sign of lying. I've learned that over the years. Dylan had never lied to me before. He'd always been honest, which had assured me I could trust him from the start when he said he'd turned his back on the School. And if he ever decided to lie, I'd know. And so my curiosity made me follow him at this sudden small change in his behavior.

All he'd done was fly for the longest time. Fly and land somewhere down with Fang. I guessed it was to talk so I circled away. No need to take privacy. Within minutes, I was aware of the sound of argument. Even from a mile away, I could hear how upset Fang was and I lazily doubled back to break up what was sure to be a fight. And then the words became clearer and I heard the word 'die'.

I was suddenly aware of flying as fast as my wings would allow, a sinking feeling taking the pit of my stomach. And when I entered through the canopy of trees a knife was coming down at what I knew was Fang. The comparison was undeniable. And without thinking, I flew in the way of the knife, blocking the blow with my right wing and shoving Fang away with the other. A sickening tearing sound caught in my enhanced ears and was magnified to where I heard the shredding of my wing at four hundred percent. And not only that, but it tore completely through, cutting my arm hiding behind it too. I cried out in the unbearable fire I felt pulsing through my veiny, damaged wing and the agony screaming in my arm.

Dylan's eyes widened and he stepped back.

"What do you think you're doing?" I shouted at him.

He pointed at Fang who was watching us with slit black eyes. "Fang turned into an Eraser! He tried to kill me!" He gestured to his bloody wrist and then Fang's bloody muzzle. "Help me!"

But I didn't even look away. I hadn't told Dylan I could tell when he was lying like I'd told Nudge, but I was sure of it now. "Why are you trying to kill Fang?"

"He tried to kill me!" He spluttered.

Lie.

"Leave or die." I said wincing as I moved my wing back and I took up what I knew all to well as a fighting stance. I'd lived on the run since I was six. And I had one advantage over what the Flock had - I'd learned to live on my _own__. _I knew how to kick butt one-on-one easily.

Dylan's eyes flitted back and forth between me and Fang, before he slyly leapt into the air and left without a second glance. I'd come to a quick assumption, and I'd only been living around others for forty-eight hours, but I didn't think I needed experience to tell me that _you don't try to kill family. No acceptions._

I turned back to Fang. "Are you hurt? Can you speak?"

Fang stared back. When I stepped closer, he coward like an abused dog. "Don't get close." His voice rasped, deep and feral. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me." I said confidently, but also treading cautiously forward as if not to wake a mouse. "We have to get you back. Are you hurt?" I asked again. I reached out to touch him, and his nostrils flared and his breath caught.

"You have no idea how hard it is trying to keep myself from ripping you to shreds." He nodded at my wing. "The blood. It's... disturbingly alluring."

And it was true for him. This sent my senses on high alert. I painfully pulled my wing in under my hoodie, whimpering the entire time.

His tense shoulders relaxed. "Better." He stated at the diluted smell. "No, I'm not hurt. We have to get you back though. You're losing a lot of blood." He looked uncertainly in the direction of the hotel. "If I attack anyone... kill me, okay?"

I nodded.

"On." He demanded, and I sat on his back grabbing fistfuls of fur so I wouldn't fall off. He stood carefully and then started the run back to the Flock's temporary home. _Why didn't you warn me!? _I thought angrily at my Voice. _Fang almost died!_

The Voice answered quickly. _Fang has been tainted too much by the School. He puts the mission in Jeopardy. That's why we sent you to find Dylan in the first place; it was his only purpose. The School had accidentally created something that could help us, but now you've made two monsters that you'll have to fight now. Two new enemies. The one you're riding, and the one that would kill all of you just to get to Fang._

Somewhere in the time of my fuming and us arriving, I lost consciousness.

And sadly, that's not a lie.

* * *

NUDGE POV

People say I talk a lot, but that's because I just have, like, so much on my mind. But on the flight home from the store, I didn't realize I was being so quiet until Angel mentioned it. I guess because there was only _one _thing on my mind now instead of, like, a bajillion or something.

"What's wrong, Nudge?" She asked with a tilt of her head, dark brown hair trailing behind her. She shifted over closer to me.

"Huh?" I blinked out of my thoughts. I craned my necked around to see her.

"You're really quiet. Is something wrong?"

I shook my head, watching the city streets pass by below me. "It's nothing, really."

Max gasped, like, extremely loud. "Land now!" And so we followed her.

"What happened, Max?" Angel asked. She walked over to her and poked her in the side, questioning the bizarre look on Max's face.

Max stalked over to me and shook me. "You hadn't talked at all while shopped, and you just gave a three word answer. _Three words!_" She shook me by the shoulders again. "Do we need to take you to the hospital? Is there something wrong? Come on girl, talk to me."

I sighed. "No."

And that one word practically sent her into a panic attack.

"Angel!" She called. "Call 911! Somethings wrong with her. What!? You don't have a phone!? Oh, God, Nudge! What do we do? Are you feeling faint? Dizzy? Nauseous?"

I shook my head.

"Great!" She shouted sarcastically. "Now she doesn't even use words. It's official! The world is really ending!"

"Calm down, Max." Angel patted her shoulder. "I think I can guess what it is."

"What?" She asked, stepping back from me while Angel dragged her slowly away.

"I bet she's just tired that's all." Angel said soothingly.

I cleared my throat, and they both looked at me. What would Max think? "It's... uh, Wake." They both stared like I'd just grown a third eyeball. "He's kind of cute, right? And nice? And sweet? And funny?"

"And really, really quiet!" Max said. "He is like a complete opposite of you! Plus, you're too young! And he's too old!"

"He's only a year older than me." I said appalled. "That's normal!"

"But you're not normal!" She protested. I shrank back. I knew I wasn't normal, hence the _flying _and the _running for our lives everyday._ Her eyes widened, realizing that'd been a little harsh. "Sweetie, it's just that you're my little girl and and you're too young." She brushed my cheek. "Trust me, you do not want to get into that kind of stuff yet."

I looked to Angel, and she spoke up hesitantly. "You're a great talker, and he's a great listener." She reasoned, and I grinned. A smile spread across her face as she grabbed my hand and pulled me up into the air. "Wake and Nudge, sit'n in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"You're too young!" Max called up after us, which I laughed at, because technically, she was younger than me right now.

I flew with Angel as she swirled through the air, giggling. Max was leader, and I always listened, but I think I'd ignore one of her commands for once.

* * *

**Oh, no! What's gonna happen when Max and them get home to find a bloody, unconscious Wake laying next to a Wolfed-out Fang? All the while, helplessly clueless Gazzy and Ig are off playing with rainbows. Tsk. What are we going to do with them?**

**Anyway, what will Nudge think? _And most of all... what's Max gonna do?_**

**_I UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS WANT FAX, SO I GUESS I'LL TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK THAT IN WITH THE WHOLE BODY SWAP. I'VE GOT A FEW IDEA'S, BUT IT MIGHT TAKE ME ANOTHER WEEK TO UPDATE. SORRY, I'M A BUSSY GIRL. :)_**

**And I JUST WANTED TO SAY... with great stupidity comes HAPPY MOPPING!**

**I hope ya'll's days are as random filled as mine!**


	7. Off to Ride Our Unicorns, My Love

**HEYYYY! I know I said I probably wouldn't be updating until about another week, but I just couldn't help it! I left ya'll on an aweful chapter, so I want to make it up to you! ****I think this one may be my favorite! ****What about you?**

**Okay guys I have a confession to make about last chapter's the random thought of the day.**

**Random thought of the day: Why did I lie about being a genius?**

**I'm not really a genius. In fact, I just found out that all last week in school, I'd been writing that this was the month of March in the year of 2012! Am I an idiot? Don't answer that. Last week was supposed to be April in the year of 2013! It's official guys, I'm losing it...**

**So, anyway... All Max's POV this chapter! ****Humor and some Faxness awaits you, so go ahead! Read! :) **

* * *

Max POV

Almost home. Almost peaceful, until the entire horizon was dotted with creepy Erasers.

Why couldn't my life be _normal?_

"Heads up guys!" I called out. "Two hundred Erasers up ahead!"

My stomach was turning sick and inside out. _Two hundred_ Erasers? I thought those things were supposed to be long gone. And that was _way_ too many for us to handle with just the three of us. Heck, it'd even be a really big challenge for the entire flock. We were so close to home. Maybe the rest of the flock could help fight. Plus, possibly Wake and Dylan could bring us away from the 'impossible' range and into the more familiar zone of 'insane'.

"What!" Nudge gasped. "I _just_ got my nails back into perfect condition! If one of the beasts mess up my new manicure, I'm going to be _furious!_"

"Not now, Nudge!" Angel exclaimed. She got a determined face on and then... she dropped from the sky. In the next moment, I heard the train sound, and I'm pretty sure I was falling too.

"Angel! Max!" Nudge screamed. She tucked her wings in aiming for Angel, my baby. And then it was suddenly reversed, and I felt Nudge grabbing me under my arms. Under _my _arms. Like, my own body. Angel and I had swapped while flying. It all happened quick, just like before.

"I'm fine, Nudge." I said, still feeling like I had a sudden case of sea sickness. "We switched. Check on Angel." I pointed to where she was flapping unevenly.

Nudge let go and I heard Angel laughing. "I'm great!" She exclaimed. "I'm calling the flock with my mind. Now let's go take down some Erasers, shall we?"

Nudge grinned, then frowned. "These Erasers are so going to pay for this. I had a date with Wake!"

"YOU WHAT!?" I shrieked.

Nudge smiled. "Now, Max," She said with her hands up and slowly banking away from me, "go take that anger out on those unfortunate Erasers and kill me some other time." She sounded kind of scared, and she should have been. She was too _young._

"Gladly." I said, shooting her a look, and then putting on speed until I was in hyper drive. I came up to the first wolf still in super speed, aiming for his throat. That easily knocked him into a good five of his buddies, and they fell. Five down, one hundred ninety-five to go. Wow, I was on a roll!

Angel came up next to me and just started pointing at random Erasers shouting, "Fall!" while pointing to another, "Fall! Fall! Fall!" And they just kept dropping. That's my girl!

Nudge had levitated a street lamp up and was swinging it like a nut-job, using her crazy metal powers. Since when did she get so strong?

"Max?" Nudge said hastily, and her voice wavered dangerously. "They're healing, and like, _really fast._"

I whipped my head around to see the Erasers lick their wounds like animals and heal within _seconds. _What the Hell? Just then, a claw lashed out at me, catching my arm. I screamed while spinning around with a fist raised, and sent the stupid thing falling. God, this is the reason I will never have a dog. Well, one that doesn't speak like a gentleman anyway. But either way you look at it, there all so annoying!

Angel was now controlling the Erasers, making them attack each other. "Max!" She called excitedly. "If they hurt each other, their wounds don't heal!" I watched as one wolfman cut another open and the other tried desperately to heal itself. She was right! Our chances of winning this fight just sky rocketed to 'we're all gonna die'. If Angel was the only one that could do any real damage... there was no possibility we could win. And by now, my arm was locking up and it was burning like fire where that one Erasers had gotten a lucky swipe at me. I realized with a sickening dread that it was probably poison, because this didn't feel like any normal Eraser scratch.

"Don't let them scratch you!" I screamed.

"Well, duh!" Nudge said, starting to get out of breath with her overexertion of her metal powers.

"They have poison!" I reasoned. "And don't back sass me!" I spun around and slapped a wolf across the muzzle. It growled and when I growled back, it kind of took it off guard. I kicked it's chin and it's head snapped back with a crack. I hissed in alarm. I tried to never ever kill anything, just hurt it enough to where it ran off screaming. But killing seamed to be the only way to save my family this time. As the wolf fell with it's broken neck, I was smashed with a flash back. Ari, in that sewer tunnel. That had been my first kill. I had broken _his _neck. _My brother._ I forgot to flap for a moment as the memory seemed to burn more than the poison spreading through me.

"Max! Snap out of it!" Angel called, looking at me with tears in her eyes. _We need you to fight. _She thought at me.

Iggy screamed out of nowhere and flung himself into the fight. "The Rainbow Crusaders!" He yelled, while clotheslining an unsuspecting wolf. "Wow. These uglies look just as bad as I remembered." He swung at an exceptionally large brown one. "Oh, and by the way guys. We should all drop right... NOW!"

The flock plummeted towards the ground, flapping backward to land softly, while Gazzy screamed "RAINBOW POWER!" and threw a bomb into the mix of Erasers quite accurately. It released a sickening green gas, and then exploded twice as big as I'd ever seen one of his homemade bombs get.

"Jeez, guys." Nudge gasped. What'd you load that thing up with?"

Iggy grinned and pointed at his rear end.

"GROSS!" Nudge squealed in disgust. "You used your fart!?"

Gazzy cackled with glee and nodded his head.

"Focus, guys!" I said, bringing their attention back to at least the hundred and fifty or so left. These things were like the Grimlins! Before you could kill another, the one before was already healed. "You wouldn't happen to have anymore of those bombs, would you?"

Iggy cursed, and I thumped him in the head. "I mean, Ma'am, No, Ma'am!" He saluted, and I flicked his ear again. "Would you stop flicking me, Angel?" He asked while shoving me.

"I'm Max now." I said while shoving him back. "You and Gaz are the only ones that haven't switched back yet."

His face paled and he bowed down mockingly. "All hail Max and all her awesomeness. Please don't kill me."

"Incoming!" Nudge yelled, and a swarm of kitchen forks flew out of the window behimd us, meeting up with the flaming wolves in seconds.

"Fight my beauties! Fight!" Iggy screamed gleefully in Nudge's voice.

"Shut up." I said, jumping back into the crowd of Erasers. "You guys coming?" I started taking out one of the brutes that had decided to take the fight to the ground. Thank God that we were just behind the apartment and not right in the middle of the street. Erasers dropping on the hoods of peoples cars would _not_ have been good.

Without hesitation, the rest of the flock was in the group of our enemies ducking away from Nudge's flying forks. "Dude! I swear I just saw Mr. Forky Porky!" Iggy joked in my voice. "No! Come back! I love you!"

"Iggy!" I called, laughing despite the mess we were in. At least my Flock could joke while we were facing certain death, _yet again_.

And then something registered. "Where is Fang?" I shouted, asking everyone at once. "And Wake and Dylan?"

"Don't know." Angel called. She looked at me with worried eyes. She turned back in time to see an Eraser charge at her before she was tackled to the ground, screaming.

I took off after her, my vision turning red with rage. "Angel!" I shrieked. I was one lunge away from the stupid thing when a huge black Eraser rammed into the other one, throwing it off. I stood back in awe. "That was brilliant, Angel!" I said, stumbling back. My baby girl had just controlled the biggest Eraser I'd ever seen into helping her out. Sadly, it was time to get rid of it.

I nailed a hard blow to it's shoulder, and it whipped around to face me, it's eyes blazing with fire. Then, it's eyes widened the same time mine did, and I was looking into Fang's eyes. The same Eraser from my dream. _It was just a dream._ I told myself. _Their just playing with your mind. Snap out of it and kill him!_

I lunged at it's throat, but it skittered away with a complete agility that I'd never seen an Eraser use before. "Max, it's me!" It hissed, but I was too focussed on trying to get over the fact that I'd missed the lunge to catch what It'd said. I ran after it again, angry, but it ran from me, tearing into other wolves with it's claws.

I stopped mid-chase. At least Angel was doing twice as much damage with this Eraser than she was before. Might as well let it go until the end.

"Keep it up, Ange!" I said excitedly as I watched another five go down that certainly wouldn't be getting back up. We might actually survive this raid with this freakishly big monster fighting for us.

"Nudge! Watch it!" Iggy yelled as he ducked under a swarm of kitchen knives. He wouldn't have ducked in time if Nudge hadn't been getting extremely tired and slowing down.

"Sorry!" She gasped, all of the inaniment objects tumbling to the ground. "I can't hold them up anymore." She wiped off sweat and I took out an Eraser that was coming up behind her.

Sadly, no one was there to stop the one behind me. I was jumped on and pinned to the ground, while an Eraser growled in my ear. "Bye-bye, pretty bird." It's drool dropped next to my face as two others came up on either side of me. They reached for my wings, but I pulled them in tight, but they still managed to get a hold. They gripped each one and started pulling.

"No!" I wailed. They were going to dislocate them. I felt them spread them open, and I fought it the whole way, straining against the inevitable. Oh, God! I was freaking out and actually hyperventallating. I gathered the little bit of breath I could through my short gasps and choked out the first word that came to mind. "FANG!" I screamed. "FANG!"

Just as I felt my left wing pop, all three Erasers were thrown off of me by a black blur. The black wolf. It was turned, facing off with all three Erasers at once plus an extra four that saw him as the biggest threat. The big wolf easily took them all down within a minute.

I hadn't been aware of the silence that was everywhere else. And I had not even noticed that I hadn't gotten up until the black wolf turned back to me. I felt my tears of pain make it down the tip of my nose from where I was still laying face down on my stomach. "Max?" It asked. I backed up sliding away painfully. The poison burned and my dislocated wing hurt like Hell.

But _none_ of it hurt as bad as the voice that came from the wolf. The school must've gone to great lengths to match this wolf up with Fang.

Because this couldn't be Fang.

Because it was my literal worst nightmare.

"Angel! Kill it!" I said, my voice shaking violently. "Kill it, Angel!" My voice cracked as the thing stepped closer.

Instead, Angel walked forward from my peripheral vision reaching out a hesitant hand.

"Angel!" I snapped, but her eyes didn't leave the wolf.

"Fang?" She asked. It nodded and laid down. "Oh, God. He did this to you?" I stared, horror struck as Angel had a mental conversation with it, petting it's head crying. "Never, Fang." She turned to me and nodded at him. "It's _him_. Dylan and the school did this to him."

I shook my head. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. "Prove it." I broke. "I don't believe it."

He thought, and then leaned toward me. "I choose you, Max."

I stared into his eyes and watched the way they blinked, seeing my reflection, scared and small. A quiet surrounded us as everyone waited to see what I'd say. Realization dawned on me and made me laugh with hysteria. "Nudge, I guess guess this is about as close to Twilight as we get. Except, I'm falling for the werewolf." I let out another semi-insane string of laughter, before wincing and forcing myself to a sitting position. "Come here Dog-Boy. Come on! Roll over!" I patted the ground. The Flock laughed, and Fang's grin was huge. I held out my hand and he pushed his muzzle up to it. He closed his eyes as my hand brushed between his eyelids. "God, Fang, you about gave me a heart attack. How about you switch back now? It's kind of creeping me out, and your clothes fit really weird."

"Can't." He replied.

My hand stopped and he opened his eyes. "What do you mean _you can't?_"

He shrugged, well, as much as a wolf with wings can shrug. "I don't know how."

"Well, no kissy's for you, mister." Iggy said mimicking me.

Fang's face turned to the dopiest look I'd ever seen, probably mirroring my own facial expression. The flock laughed aloud at this while Gazzy just said, "Ew!"

His eyes blinked sadly, and suddenly, I found myself wrapping him in a a bear hug. "We'll figure it out." I whispered. Fang stiff muscles relaxed under my grip. He leaned against me and rested his chin on my shoulder. Soon, I felt him change beneath my arms.

He pulled back grinning. "Nice job, Fairy Godmother. You granted my wish."

"Shut up, Dog-breath. That kiss?"

"You-" And I shushed him with my mouth before he could say anything else. His shock was easy to feel at first, but slowly, his arms came up, tightening around my waist and pulling me closer. I helped by grabbing a fist of his hair.

"Awe, gross!" Iggy said. "Get a room! I'd rather be blind than have to see this!"

I felt Fang smile beneath my lips as he playfully pushed Ig away. He laid back, and I laughed lightly before kissing him again. His hands slid up and just barely brushed one of my wings. I practically screamed in pain, jumping back and whimpering pathetically.

Fangs eyes were wide as saucers. "I'm sorry, Max! What'd I do?"

"Who apologizes before they know what their apologizing for?" Gazzy asked curiously.

I was hissing and cursing under my breath. I never got one stupid moment to share with Fang before a microwave blew up, someone got mortally wounded, or a random voice in my head wanted to let me know the world was ending. In this case, it was my own freaking injury. "My wing." I said with a sudden temper. "One of the Erasers dislocated it." I lifted my one good wing while the left one laid on the ground uselessly. Why do I always get put in the worst possible situations? I mean, a bird-kid with a broken _wing_? Is some eternal force against me? Never-mind forget I asked that last part.

"And your arm." He noted, pointing to the scratches that barely broke my skin, but still burned like crap.

"Yah." I said with a fake smile. "That too."

His brow furrowed while he sat in thought for a moment. He leaned forward and licked his thumb. "I don't know if this will work," he said, "but I want to try." I held still as he pressed his thumb against the scratches. They sealed up before my very eyes, just like the other Erasers had been doing, and I felt the burn slowly disappear. I sighed with relief.

Iggy stepped up and jabbed a finger at him. "Me next, Lassie. I need some magic dog slobber." Fang turned to him, flipping the bird.

"Fang! This is great!" Nudge said excitedly. "You can heal us now!"

He shook his head. "Only surface wounds. I can't help Max's dislocation or any broken bones." He winced when I cried out from Angel popping it back in for me.

"I never thought you being an Eraser would be so helpful." I smiled and laughed. "Of course, I never really pictured you as an Eraser. But still."

Nudge cleared her throat, and leaned forward hesitantly. "Fang? Is... is Wake gone too?" She seemed like she was near tears. "Was he a part of... what happened to you?"

Fang was suddenly up with wild eyes. "Dammit!" He said. "Nudge, stay here." He took off running into the woods. Of course, all of us followed him. We came up to an unconscious dark-skinned kid surrounded by a very scary amount of blood.

The quiet, heart-sickening hitch of some someone's breath catching made it's way into my stunned senses. I saw Nudge fall to her knees begging, "No, no, no, no,no!" She crawled forward and grabbed his limp hand as Fang went to work, sealing his wounds, cursing the entire time.

My throat was tight. "You - you didn't do this did you?" Angel asked. "I mean, by accident or anything?"

Fang shook his head. "The kid barely even knew me and he saved my life. I was gonna let Dylan kill me. I didn't trust myself, but Wake jumped in the way of his knife." He closed and healed the last scratch. "I hope this works. He lost a lot of blood."

"What about this!?" Nudge wailed. She spread out his wing. The thin velvety skin of his right wing was torn straight through from just under the top bone all the way out of the middle, splitting it in two. "He can't fly like this! Fix him!"

Fang shook his head. "Nudge, I can't. I already-"

"Try again!" She snapped aggressively. The pain in her eyes as she stared, horrified, at the ruined wing,' brought Fang back down by Wake's side. When it didn't work again, Nudge hit the ground. "Try harder!" We sat there for half an hour, watching him try again and again to seal the pieces back together, but only managing to seal them separately. Nudge had given up her threats at Fang and was just sitting there staring off into space as if she'd rather be in her own little world rather than in reality.

Wake suddenly wheezed and coughed awake. He breathed in a ragged breath before Nudge was crushing him in a hug. "Am I dead?" He asked. "I think I'm looking at an angel."

"No." She grinned.

"Oh, then... Hey, beautiful." He said, giving her a _proper_ greeting and only having enough energy to pat her arm. "So I guess that date's off, huh?"

She laughed with relief, her tears sparkling against her smiling cheeks. "You are _unbelievable_!"

Seeing this scene made me want to sigh 'awe' like they do in TV shows, while beat the kid and tell him to back off my baby girl. Seeing that Wake was already in a bad enough condition, I decided to go with the 'awe'.

"Nudge." He said sighing.

"Hmm?" She asked, squishing him tighter.

His hand dropped from her arm. "Can't... breathe."

"Oh! Sorry!" She yelped, letting him go. He fell back, unable to really keep himself up.

"_Ow_." He laughed.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Nudge said, and the Flock laughed as we watched Nudge stutter and lose her ability to speak.

Iggy stepped up smiling, and nudged Wake with his shoe. "Maybe we'll keep you around. You seem to be the only one that can put the NudgeChannel on hold."

"_Iggy_!" She protested while throwing a pinecone at him.

He ducked and skipped away. "Why is it always pinecones!" He wondered aloud.

"Because you're not invisible." I said. He grinned, remembering the first time we found out Fang had invisibility and I'd chucked pinecones at him.

Wake squirmed and then reached up like a baby wanting to be picked up. "Now, Darling, would you mind carrying me to our castle? The unicorns and pegasus-things are awaiting us!" Wake joked.

Nudge giggled, and picked him up. "You'll be resting upon the royal throne we call the couch, while feasting on the royal meal we call Doritos."

"Sounds great, my love. Off into the sunset we ride! Onward soldiers!" He said while pointing to us.

Great. So now we have a kid like this to deal with and tend to while he rests up. Yippee.

This was going to be one _fun_ job.

* * *

**So... whatchya'll think!? Much better than the last chapter or two, in my opinion. Sorry, but I had to lead up to it! It had to get bad before I could make it get better!**

**Yay for the Faxness! Yay for Wake and Nudge (I don't like coming up with couple names, so ya'll can do that for me)! But _poor Wake! _Will he ever fly again? (giggles) You guys have _no idea_ what's in store for him! Hahaha!**

**Anyway, thanks for continuing to read through that disturbing mess!**

**And... REVIEWS?! Pwease?**


	8. Fang's in White! And Charge For Narnia!

**Sorry it's been so long guys. I've had a really bad case of writers block. And I've had no time to even think about what should happen. It was really hard writing this chapter.**

**Anyway... HOLY CHEESE! All of those reviews for chapter seven!? Where have those been? Hahaha! You guys are great. I was all getting up groggy and mopey, wondering, "should I drop writing this fan fiction?", cuz I honestly couldn't think of anything at all to write, but then I saw those reviews and was like, NO WAY! Ya'll are so inspiring, so I got determined and stared at the blank computer screen for five days in a row until I finally just typed a random word. If there is anything that you guys want to happen in this story, leave more reviews. I am open for ideas.  
**

**Sooo... this story will go on! I know where it's going, but I'm just not sure how it will get there!**

**And just make sure we're clear, I mean no insults to 'My Little Pony' or 'dudes'. Honestly, I like 'My Little Pony' and thankfully, I like 'guys' too. So, no hard feelings right?**

**On with this chapter!**

* * *

Wake POV

I felt perfectly fine, besides the fact that I actually felt like my insides had been sucked out by an unforgiving vampire. Kind of ironic since I was part bat. But other than that, I was A-Okay.

This bed rest thing wasn't going like I'd wanted. I expected to chill for an hour, but I was told that I had to wait the rest of yesterday and today. A day and a half of doing nothing!

And then I found out about my wing. I honestly didn't care. I'd wanted to be normal my whole life, but RAWR kept talking in my mind. Maybe they'd think I was useless now, and just leave my head alone. "I could get them cut off." I offered a little too willingly.

Nudge's mouth dropped open and she stared at me. I don't know if I'd imagined it, but I think I'd hit a nerve that had been touched before. "Never!" She exclaimed pacing away in agitation. "Maybe we can get someone to stitch you back together. Sew you up."

I sat back, unsatisfied. "And what doctor can I go to sew this puppy up?"

"Max's mom!" She exclaimed. "And what doctor did you think would remove them for you?"

I jerked my thumb at my chest. "I'd do it myself. All I'd need is an ax. Fang could seal me up then."

She jumped forward at me. "Are you CRAZY! Stop talking like that! That won't happen! Ever!"

"I use duck tape to fix bombs." Gazzy suggested from his spot in the corner. "Duck tape fixes everything."

Nudge whirled around. "This is serious!"

"And so is breathing." Iggy said. "I think Gaz has a point, though. Duck tape could work temporarily."

Nudges nostrils flared angrily while Gazzy exclaimed, "Yes! I'm a genius!" He fist pumped.

"That's a stupid idea!" Nudge said, losing her calm. Her eyes were getting wide with panic.

I shrugged. "I'm okay with it."

"Of course you do. Because it's stupid, and you're a guy. And guys like stupid ideas."

I looked at the two boys. Iggy was fiddling with a piece of carpet. "You guys want to go get a roll?" I asked. They nodded enthusiastically and sprinted out the room. Then it was just me and Nudge left.

She sighed, sat on the coffee table in front of me, and put her head in her hands. "God, how'd this happen. You can't fly with that."She breathed near tears, and inhaled shakily. "I hate Dylan so bad."

"Hey, hey." I said. "We don't hate people, we dislike them."

She lifted her head, and a tear made her way down the side of her cheek. "This isn't a joke." She almost spit. "Dylan hurts people."

"He made it really fun to play peek-a-boo." I reasoned. I held out my ripped wing in front of my face, but made sure that it was folded so that nothing showed through. Then I extended it and the tear opened enough to where I could see her face. "See? Peek-a-boo!"

"Not funny, Wake." She sniffed, although, she did crack a smile. I closed it, and opened it again. This time she gave a small laugh.

"See?" I asked again. "I like it better when you're smiling."

And suddenly, out of nowhere... "Charge! For Narnia!" Gazzy yelled, running into the room with Iggy on his back. He raised the roll of duck tape victoriously.

"Wall!" Iggy laughed, jumping off a moment before Gazzy slammed face first into it. "And down he falls."

I raised an eyebrow. "You were making the newly blind kid give you a piggy-back-ride?"

"So?" He asked.

Nudge nudged my shoulder. She gestured at Gazzy wobbling to his feet. "They're guys." She stated as if it were obvious. "Guys do stupid things."

I nodded approvingly. "I'm starting to see your point."

She smiled. Iggy grabbed Gazzy's arm. "Now, we'll be leaving." He said while skittering from the room. "We've been working on this... plan. That includes... stuff. Stuff that you don't know about... okay?"

When they waved good-bye, I turned to look at Nudge. "What are they...?" I started.

She just shrugged. "All I know is that they are guys, so it's probably something stupid."

I shook my head. "I'm starting to get offended."

"I'm going to get some snacks." She said smiling while getting up. "Want some?"

"Sure." I answered. "You wanna watch a movie?"

She blinked, then grinned. "Yeah. That'd be great!" She skipped from the room.

Just then, Angel threw herself over the couch. "Movie?" She wondered. She rubbed her hands together eagerly, and then glared at me with the most evil look a seven-year-old could give. "I've got my eyes on you." She said while motioning with her pointer and middle finger at her own eyes and then at mine, completing the well known sign. "I'm taking care of my sister. And you won't be making any moves on her while I'm around." Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Uh, sure." I said slightly confused.

"Great!" She said suddenly happy. "I've got the perfect movie then!" She held up a box that made my stomach drop.

You have got to be kidding me.

_Nope._ She answered in my thoughts. _This will be a-ma-zing..._

* * *

Max POV

Oh my freaking God. I've never been given a massage before, and I'm pretty sure Fang has never given one. So, I guess we were both trying something new. Let me tell you, you have not _lived_ until you've been given a deep tissue massage. "I'm in heaven," I breathed into the pillow. I winced slightly as his palms dug into the muscles around my wings. "Jeez Fang. Up, up a little. Now to the right. Oh, right there. That's the spot." I sighed.

I heard him chuckle above me. "That little sound you make reminds me of when you're eating one of Dr. Martinez's cookies."

"Shut up." I breathed too blissful to move and disrupt the session. "How long do these last?"

He didn't answer, because as soon as I asked, three things happened all at once.

First the My Little Pony theme song came on in the living room, and Wake was saying something about saving him from "this monstrosity".

Second, Nudge was screaming in the kitchen.

And third, there was an explosion outside.

"Never-mind." I said, immediately jumping up from my position on the bed. I sprinted hurriedly down the hall and to the kitchen. Fang skidded in right behind me.

"Nudge, what's wrong!?" I asked over her screaming.

She was up on the table, pointing at the floor. "RAT!" She squealed. She looked at me, terrified. "There was a rat in the pantry! Get it, or I'm sleeping outside tonight!"

Classic Nudge. Give her an army of Erasers to fight and she's as fearless as a raging mother bear. Give her a slightly over sized mouse or a pair of sweat pants, and it's like the idiot girl in horror movies just opened up her door for the serial killer - in other words, there's_ so much screaming. _I glanced at Fang, and he nodded. "I've got this." He said. "Check on the bomb."

I nodded and walked out. I smiled as I ran past Angel and Wake on the couch. Angel had the remote, so that explained the "monstrosity" situation of My Little Pony.

I easily jumped from the second story window, making sure not to use my wing. I didn't even have to look for what I knew was the boys' version of 'fun'.

"Iggy? Gazzy?" I called out. "What the heck!" I watched as the boys both stepped out of the massive column of feathers that was covering every inch of space. I stepped forward and it was like I was swimming in them. "Guys, what happened?"

"Well, we wanted to see if it was possible to smother a bomb with pillows." Gazzy started.

"So we collected all the pillows we could find from every room." Iggy continued as if unhappy with _my_ response.

"And we piled them on top of a bomb!" Gazzy concluded. He waved his hands in the air to mess with the feathers still drifting down.

Iggy smiled at my glare while Gazzy was completely oblivious. "You guys can't set off bombs in the back of an apartment!" I said. "You'd think it was common sense."

Gasman's head snapped up at my voice. "We didn't know the feathers would survive! These things are indestructible! They, like, defy the laws of psychics!" He stuffed a handful of feathers in his mouth just, and then spit them out in disgust.

Ig elbowed him. "You mean physics, Gaz."

"You guys should clean this up." I said, careful not to breathe to quickly, scared that I might choke and die on the fluff.

Just then three little kids ran outside screaming with glee.

Iggy grinned. "How about we let the children have fun while we find a hotel to stay at. I'm sure the police will be here after an explosion like that." His smile widened. "Gosh, Max. You need to have better control of your children."

I turned around, sighing with impatience. They were going to have to get used to life back with civilization. Looking back up at the window sitting open, I growled. It would have been so easy to just fly up there. Instead, I climbed the stairwell in the weirdest way possible, trying to entertain myself since flying wasn't an option. I mean, how many kids can say that they can climb the stairs in a handstand?

I walked to our door and knocked. Angel opened it, smiling happily while holding the remote. "How's the movie?" I asked knowingly.

"Oh, come on!" Wake called as I snickered and waltzed passed him.

I stuck out my tongue, walking into the kitchen backward. Then, I tripped and fell right on my butt. I leaped back up dripping with syrup and Captin' Crunch. "Gross!" I said flinging the gooey mixture off. "What happened?"

I looked up and my question was answered. Nudge was standing in a tense fighting stance, holding the broom like she would swipe at anything that moved. "Shhh." She said quietly. "It can smell fear."

"Nudge..." I said slowly. "Put down the broom."

"Shh!" She shushed. All of the condiments of the pantry were knocked all over the floor. My eyes wandered over to Fang, and I had to supress a laugh. He was covered from head to to in flour. _White _flour. For a kid that always wore black, he looked pretty funky in white.

"Fang!" I finally cracked up. "You've joined the light. We've finally turned you away from the dark side!"

"There it is!" Nudge shrieked. She batted one of the last remaining food boxes off a shelf. Along with it, a mouse fell to the ground. Nudge suddenly lost all of her bravery and jumped back up onto the table, screaming bloody murder.

"Nudge, we have to go." I said picking her up. She flailed in my arms. "The cops are going to be here soon." I wrestled with her and eventually set her down in the living room. Soon she calmed down enough to think strait.

"How are you going to get anywhere with your wing?" She asked, glancing up at me and then at Wake. "And how is _he_?"

I tilted my head in thought. "Fang can carry me for a bit. Him and Iggy can switch off, but they won't be able to switch off if they're carrying Wake too."

Iggy came in the window. "Get back everyone! Watch and learn of the worlds best invention since living itself!" He picked up a roll of duck tape off the ground, made a big show of tearing a strip, and then beckoned Wake over. He stumbled to his feet and Nudge immediately took up a spot by his side, helping him over to Iggy. "Watch as I place this sticky side on the place of needed use." He fanned out Wake's wing against the wall. He bit his lip in concentration as he fit the tape as best as he could with the jagged line. He then turned Wake around and did the same to the other side. "Ta-da! Boom-shocka-locka! Done!"

"Like magic." Gasman confirmed.

"It's great." Wake said, testing it out by slowly flapping. "But did you honestly have to use pink?"

Ig shrugged. "Beggers can't be choosers."

"I didn't beg." Wake said flatly.

"Did too." Iggy slapped him on the back.

"Did not." Wake slapped him on his back slightly harder.

Ig's face reddened slightly. "Did t-"

"I think it looks great." I said, cutting in before it turned into a full out argument. "Can we get going now?"

"Yes!" Nudge said, catching on. "Let's go!" She continued, shoving Wake toward a window.

"Gazzy's outside." Iggy informed. "He's waiting on us, or _someone_ in particular."

Fang just crossed his arms and set his jaw in that adorable way that he does. That shut Iggy up _real_ quick.

I stepped up first, and Fang grabbed under my stomach. We fell forward for half a second before his wings caught the weight of both of us. I hadn't noticed how hot Fang felt until my back was pressed up against his chest. Was he running a fever? "Fang, you're hot." I said with concern.

His face came down into my view for a second and he smirked. "I know."

I almost snorted. "Not in that way!" I protested, kicking his legs behind me.

He raised an eyebrow. "So I'm not pretty?" He sniffed, acting hurt.

"Shut up!" I said laughing. "You know what I meant!"

He stayed silent for a moment, which told me joking was over. With the quiet, I could hear Wake and Iggy still arguing. Nudge and Gazzy were both sighing in exasperation. "I don't know why, but it's been happening for the past few days. I think it's a side effect of being part Eraser now."

"Oh." Was all I managed to say. It kind of took me by suprise. Just yesterday, Fang had been an Eraser in combat, and scary as Hell. He just seemed... _too Fang_ to be any part monster now.

_You need to fly one hundred miles east of here. _The Voice said.

"Holy crap!" I jumped with surprise.

"What's up?" Fang asked.

"I can't believe I almost forgot I had a stupid Voice."

Fang chuckled. His laughter vibrated against my spine and made me shiver in the warm fuzzy kind of way. (Ha! Warm and fuzzy like an Erasified Fang! Okay, bad joke. Sorry.)

_You'll reach there in under and hour. You'll see a blue cabin. Land there. It's a safe haven for the night. _The Voice continued. _A big part of the plan in taking down the School will be played out there tomorrow. All of those preparations of leading you to the school several times before will be minuet compared to what will be planned there._

"Voice said to go a hundred miles east and we'll see a blue cabin in the trees. It's supposed to be our safe house for tonight." I translated out loud for Fang to hear. He nodded and we headed eastward. Over the course of time getting there, the following things happened: A) Gazzy farted once. B) Nudge sneezed twice. C)Wake and Iggy had come to agreement that they would battle it out with Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who was right - Iggy was declared winner. D) Fang was getting hotter. And E) Angel yawned a total of twelve times. (I bet you yawned after reading the word 'yawn'.)

"There." I said pointing. We were flying over a particularly dense forest, and hidden under a thick canopy I'd caught the flash of blue. "That's the cabin." I said and we angled downward. Fang had managed to carry me the whole way.

"Nice!" Iggy whooped, doing a fist pump. "This place it sweet!" He ran inside dragging Gazzy behind. I couldn't agree more. The house had a newly trimmed garden and vines with purple flowers danced their way up the sides of the house to form pictures. Like, full out murals of landscapes made completely of flowers.

"The Voice was very generous today." Fang noted. "Where has it been with a free house these past three years?"

I shrugged. As soon as I entered I was hit with the smell of pie. Homemade pie. "Mmmm." I breathed. "Doesn't this feel a little like Hansel and Gretel?" I asked mindlessly following the smell. The kids were already in the kitchen digging through the refrigerator.

"Max?" Fang asked. I turned to look at him. "This seems a little to good to be true. Are you sure the Voice told you to come here?"

I tilted my head. "Yeah. But it does seem a little extravagent."

Fang nodded and narrowed his eyes. "I want to check the house out. I'm not liking this, even if the Voice told you it was safe."

"Right behind you. We'll put this place on high alert." I followed behind him. I hadn't really noticed how much faith I always put on the Voice. Now, that I found out it was some of the crazies that were speaking in my head, maybe I should be a little more cautious. We came up to an open doorway. The entire room was pink. "Angel's room, no doubt." I said. Fang stepped in gingerly, making the pink carpet squish. I paused outside and snickered. "You do know that you're still covered in flour, right?"

He smiled. "And you're still covered in-" A plexiglass wall suddenly fell from the door frame and window in the room, cutting him off, and closing me outside.

"Fang?" I asked. He said something back, but all I could hear was the kids downstairs. I pushed lightly on the glass, but it didn't move. I punched it hard next, and my hand came back throbbing. "Shit." I cursed. I punched again, then shoved all of my weight up against the frame. "Guys!" I called for the flock. "Guys! U and A! Now!"

I watched as Fang picked up a desk chair and motioned me to move. I side stepped, and he threw the chair at the glass. And then a computer. Then the desk itself.

"U and A, guys!" I shrieked.

"We can't!" Nudge yelled. I heard them hitting the front door with some serious force. "It wont open!"

I turned for a moment to glance down the stairs. I quickly turned back to Fang. Why was he trapped alone? "Wolf out!" I shouted. "Erasify."

He nodded, reading my lips. He fell to the ground writhering in pain for a moment. It hurt me to watch. He looked like he was dying when going through the transformation. It all only took a quick second before he was back up. He launched himself at the glass. I heard it creek, and stepped back farther so I wouldn't get hit by him when he broke through. A grey gas started leeking from the vents in the cieling of his room. His eyes filckered up to it before charging the glass again. It cracked this time. He backed up again, ready to charge, but the gas was already down at his hieght. With his next breath, his run was slower, and when he hit the glass, he collapsed.

"Fang!" I yelled, smashing my fists into the glass over and over. "Fang! What kind of safe house is this!?" I cried out banging on the barrier. My knuckles started coming back bloody. I hadn't noticed the flock standing by my side at that point.

_One that gets rid of the enemy._ The Voice answered immediately. _One that protects you from your feelings._

Fang groggily raised his head, and people with gas masks unlocked and entered through the plexi-glass window of his room easily. Fang showed his teeth as one of the men touched him.

"Run guys." Iggy said. "Give me just a moment."

I stared in horror as the masked people jabbed a needle into Fang and dragged the drugged wolf toward the window. Angel grabbed my hand to pull me, but I yanked back. "Come on, Max." She said in tears. I stood as still as the wall in front of me. "Help me, Nudge." She said. And even then, both of them couldn't move me.

"Get away, now!" Iggy yelled in my face. And next thing I knew Wake had plowed into me like a football player, and was carrying me away over his shoulder. The younger guys were ahead of him. _He has to die, Max. _The Voice echoed in my head. Strangled cries were escaping my throat. One's that I didn't know I was capable of.

"Iggy. The gas could be flammable! you could kill him." I whimpered. Iggy stopped placing the bomb where it was, and looked at me helplessly.

* * *

**Noooooo! Fang!**

**Sorry to leave you guys on such a cliff hanger. Don't hate me please. And to those of you that are total Fang Fangirls, I would never kill Fang. I'm giving you guys a break from worry. I've got ideas and I hope it won't take me as long to have the next chapter up.**

**And spoiler for the next chapter!... Someone is gonna get new power abilities... (Gasp!) I bet ya'll totally saw that one coming. :)**

**Anyway, thanks for being so patient. You guys seriously make me scream with happiness.**

**Oh, and I have two requests of you guys. If you would, Please go check out my favorite story ever. It's called _Risks _By the author _fangsallmine1123._**

**And after that, go check out the story _I Promise _By the author _SoNotPerfect._**

**They're both good stories, and I'm sure they would love your support! Thanks again! :)**


	9. Thanks SoNotPerfect!

**_BIG NEWS!_**

**_I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO THE BEST REVIEWER OF ALL TIME..._  
**

**_SoNotPerfect_**

****You crack me up and totally make my day every time I read something from you! You are the main reason that chapter 9 is up so quickly!****

**And I totally forgot the random thought of the day in the last chapter, so, here it goes...**

**Random thought of the day: What would I do if I woke up one morning with wings?**

**I totally wish that would happen. Do you ever just have those moments? Those moments where you wish you could just have wings and be, like, best buds or something with the flock? (sigh)**

**Okay, so, this chapter has...**

**A) A little badassness**

**B) A little bit of Fax**

**C) A little bit of "Wadge" (I guess that would be a couple name)**

**D) A tiny bit of Angel getting mad**

**Sooooo... Thank your buddy ****_SoNotPerfect _and READ!**

* * *

Max POV

Iggy's face was frozen in helplessness, Nudge was crying, Angel was screaming, and I was fighting, fighting _hard _against Wake. I wasn't really sure why. What could I do? Watch them kill Fang? See the thing I'd always dreaded, happen right in front of me?

I slammed my fists into Wake's back. My ears started ringing, and I let out a blood curdling scream of defiance. Just as the flock took their first step down the stair case, I managed to scramble out of his arms. He spun to grab me, but Wake's arms slipped through me. They literally slipped _through _me. Like a ghost or something.

He blinked in surprise. "Max?" He asked.

I didn't even question it or turn to look at him. I was sprinting back to where Iggy sat staring through the glass. I shoved him aside and dove at the blocked doorway, squeezing my eyes shut and bracing myself for the impact that would tell me I was losing my mind. The impact that would tell me I was losing Fang forever.

But it didn't happen.

I fell through, crashing to the floor on the other side while the others were still trapped behind the intact glass in the hallway. I scrambled to my feet, holding my breath. The grey chemicals burned my eyes, but I launched myself at the first person closest to me. A simple kick to his manly place, and he was on his knees. I ripped his gas mask off and pulled it over my own head. I faced the rest of the men. There were maybe eleven others in the room. The expressions on their faces clearly stated that they hadn't planned on me getting through. What can I say? I'm a pain in the ass when I wanna be.

The biggest of the men was yelling, ordering the scrawnier ones around. He was heavy set and had a blonde, scraggly beard that looked like a barbie doll's head that hadn't been brushed in five years. Let's call him Mr. Tubby, just 'cuz I feel like being nice. "Attack it! We have to get this thing out of here!" He took on the weight of Fang by himself as the others came at me.

Stupid idiots. They should know better than to attack an angry Max.

I swept my leg under the first one, grabbed him by the ankle and swung him around, hitting the next three like they do in movies. These people were surprisingly weak. They were only humans! Didn't they know that they were messing with the chick that was supposed to save the world?

I ripped the mask off of the next one running head first at me. He sucked in a gasp of surprise and fell to his face, choking on the knock-out gas.

"Put Fang down!" I yelled furiously at the people.

The others were smarter. They tried to sneak around behind me and get me surrounded. That didn't work out to well for them either though. As the two on my sides jumped forward, I flung my wings out and hit them in the face, using my wings to fight like I'd been practicing recently. I hissed in pain at the feel of using so much force on the dislocation. Then, I jumped around doing a 180 degree spin and sent one more guy flying with a well placed kick to his chest. I turned and snarled at Mr. Tubby and his last fighter.

"What are you waiting for?" Mr. Tub yelled, his cheeks puffing in anger and exertion. He was just getting his first foot out of the window above Angel's bed. "Get her!"

The little guy's eyes went wild like a scared kid's. He paused, and I lunged, taking his mask off for him. This was just too easy.

I turned to the window. "Drop. Him. Now." I seethed. The dude just laughed.

"Did you forget we are in control of your chip?" He chortled. I stumbled back in surprise. "Good night, Max. Don't let the Erasers bite."

I jumped forward, shoving the man up against the wall. Quicker than I could register it, he grabbed a piece of broken glass off of the dresser, and jabbed it into my stomach. I felt every inch of it enter as if I were being stabbed in slow motion. My breath hitched, and my mouth opened in a silent scream.

_No pain. No pain._ I told myself. I yanked the piece out and threw it to the ground, before throwing the man to the ground along with it. I put my shoe on his chest and leaned down to his face, hissing in pain and fury. "Don't touch my family." I spit and slipped the mask from over his head. He fell unconscious like the rest of his comrades. I stumbled back over to Fang, holding my stomach, and fumbled with Tubby's mask still in my hand. I barely managed to fit it around his nose, and not even his mouth when I was hit with a brain attack. I fell to the floor bleeding and in unbearable pain. I pried my eyes open and looked up at the rest of the flock hitting the door in panic.

_Max,_ The Voice said with actual emotion in its voice for once, _what have you done?_

* * *

I woke up to a throbbing pain in my head, and felt something move beside me. I shot to my feet on high alert, scanning my new forest surroundings.

"Max!" Nudge yelped. I was suddenly squished in a bear hug by every one of my flock. "Thank, God you're okay! We were totally worried. You wouldn't wake up! And we couldn't get in. And then the knock-out gas cleared out, because the window was open. Iggy decided we could set off a small explosive against the drywall. So that blew up, but it wasn't as big the normal ones. And we got you guys. Fang wouldn't wake up for the longest time though. He had that shot in him that those people gave him. We were scared it was poison, but eventually he got up. He healed you, but you-"

"Where is he?" I asked while patting the heads of everyone around me to make sure all of us were there. "Where's Fang and Wake?"

Iggy shrugged. "They left to pick up food and supplies. They promised to be back in under an hour." He pulled back from the group hug. "They've been gone for thirty minutes."

I nodded, distracted. I'd been putting too much trust in things lately. The Voice, which I thought I'd be able to trust since it was practically part of me, had just tried to kill a member of my flock. Now, I wasn't so sure about Wake either. "I don't trust Wake." I said while shuffling and getting antsy. The rest of the group hug was dispersed by now.

"What do you mean you don't trust him?" Nudge gasped. "Saving Fang wasn't enough for you?" She seemed to be trying to defend and block someone, but there was no one there to block me from.

"Calm down, Nudge." I said hugging her gently. "I don't want to kick him out or anything, but I just found out I couldn't even trust the Voice. The Voice has always been on our side, but now it's not." I stroked her hair soothingly. "I just want us to be cautious around him. When Fang gets back, I don't want any of us going anywhere alone with him. Always have a buddy."

"That's ridiculous." She said upset.

I held her out at arms length. "Please just promise me you won't go anywhere alone with him."

She seemed to debate the answer she would give me, and I gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "Fine." She said, defeated.

I turned to the others. "That means the rest of you too." I added.

Iggy cracked up. "You don't have to worry about me hanging out with him. I hate him."

"Iggy!" Nudge exclaimed.

He ran over and picked her up while spinning her around and then finishing it with a noogy. "You're my little sister." Iggy said grinning. "I'm going to hate all of your boyfriends."

"Hey!" She protested. "You messed up my hair!"

He held out a pine-cone. "Here. Brush it with this."

Nudge looked at it in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You brush yours!" She snatched it from him and threw it at his chest.

"Pine-cones?" Iggy said thoughtfully. "It's like these things have an obsession with hitting me."

Nudge threw another and so did the Gasman. Suddenly, Morgan Freeman's voice was lighting up the clearing. "Once upon a time, a pine cone army wanted revenge on a bird kid."

I shook my head. "Iggy, that is so _creepy. _You are not allowed to do that voice anymore. I feel like he's hiding in the trees and narrating us."

"The pine-cone's were angry at the one called Max, so they turned and pelted her." He continued in the forbidden voice.

Quickly, the whole flock was turned and throwing one after another at me. "Ahg!" I yelped. "Stop it!"

"And the pine-cone's continued." Iggy said. Gazzy was cackling maniacally.

My ears rang once, and then the seeds were passing through my body as if I was just a foggy shadow.

"What the-? Ow!" Iggy shouted as a pine-cone went straight through my shoulder and hit him on the other side of me.

The throwing session stopped, and Angel stepped froward, waving her hand through my face. "Stop that!" I said jumping back. "It feels funny."

She tilted her head. "So you can walk through walls and we can walk through you." She concentrated hard on my face.

"Woah!" Gazzy's eyes were wide as saucers. "Iggy said you ran through that wall, but I thought he was crazy! Are you really like a ghost?" He ran forward with his arms out. "Where are you?"

"You're standing in her shoulder." Nudge said giggling.

"Weird..." He said, grinning.

"Hey, look, Max." Iggy said stepping toward me. "I'm picking your nose!"

I rolled my eyes and stepped away. "I guess it's a new ability, guys."

"I can't even hear your mind." Angel said. "It's like you don't exist."

"Weird..." Gazzy said again. He waved his arms around like an octapuse to try and hit me again.

Angel picked up a branch and held it out for me. "If you're holding something, can things still go through you?"

I shrugged and took it. "It's staying solid." I informed while poking Iggy. He batted it away and shoved me. I let out a quiet _oof. _"Nope, I can't stay misty if I'm holding stuff."

Angel nodded and grabbed my hand. "Okay, drop the stick and try to disappear."

I concentrated, heard the ring in my ears, and then... nothing happened. I tugged at Angel's grip on me, but she wouldn't let go. "I can't do it." I said in surprise. Just then, a pine-cone hit me in the side of the head. I snapped my glare in the direction it came from. Iggy was whistling innocently.

Angel lifted her head in the way that she does when listening to someone's thoughts. "We should go, guys." She said quietly. My heart immediately started pumping with adrenaline. Was there another attack coming? Angel shook her head hearing my worried thoughts. "You stay here, Max." She said smiling. She waved for the others to follow and they all walked with her. I watched as Wake came down from the trees, and went along with them. Then, a dark shadow fell from the canopy.

Fang.

I froze to the spot where I was at, flooded with emotion. Flooded with relief that he was still alive. His eyes blinked slowly from his spot several feet away from me, the flecks of gold in them sparkling slightly brighter than usual.

A sound escaped my throat, and Fang chuckled. He held out his arms and I ran to him, too happy to worry about how girly I may have looked. I jumped up, and Fang wrapped his arms around my shoulders in a comforting gesture. "God, I thought I lost you." I breathed into his chest.

He kissed my forehead and brought one of his hands down to entwine with mine. "I'm fine." He said, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. He rested his forehead against mine. "Angel was generous to leave us alone." He said looking into my eyes.

I smiled. "Yeah. She's the only one who deserves the ability to read and control minds. She knows when to use it... and when to stop." I raised my mouth inches from his. His breath stopped for a moment as I leaned closer... and then pushed him away playfully. "Unlike _someone_ I know."

He grinned. "Okay, maybe making you slap yourself wasn't the best idea."

"Nope." I agreed. "I don't forgive easily, and I never forget." I started walking away, knowing he would follow.

"I'm not one to ask for forgiveness either." He said falling into step beside me.

I tilted my head and shrugged. "Okay, then. Guess we're stuck at a cease-fire."

"Sorry." He said laughing, playing along with my teasing. "Sorry, I didn't make you slap yourself more."

"Hmm." I mused. "Are you being serious? I really needed that extra slap."

He grabbed my hand and made me hit myself on the chin. "Does that answer your question?" He asked.

I laughed, finally giving in. "Come here, dog-boy."

He smiled and stepped closer. I went up on tip-toe, resting my arms on his shoulders, and kissed him. It was light, and small, but as soon as I pulled back, his lips were on mine again. I gave no hesitation or playfulness this time. This second kiss was more intense and before I knew it, I was pinned against a tree with his hands on either side of me. I pulled him to me and his head came down willingly, while he lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I smiled against his mouth at a fleeting thought. He felt it and pulled back just slightly enough to see my face.

"What?" He asked.

"Angel wasn't just being generous, she was being smart." I said with my smile widening. He grinned, but it quickly dissolved into another kiss.

* * *

Nudge POV

"Shh." I hissed, dragging Wake behind me.

He tripped along barely keeping pace with my crazy speed. "Why are we staying quiet?" He whispered back as a branch hit him in the face.

"'Cuz." I said as if that one word explained everything and the meaning of life itself. "Max said I wasn't aloud to hang out with you anymore."

This took him by surprise. "Why? What'd I do?"

"Nothing!" I said a bit louder while pushing aside the underbrush. "She thinks that just because she was wrong about one thing, she's wrong about everything!"

"Umm." He said hesitantly. "Your little sister is gonna take me down to the ground. Probably take my duck tape off and shove me over the edge of a cliff." He said with actual fear in his voice.

"Don't worry about her. Her mind is closed off of everyone right now because she wanted to give Max and Fang 'alone time'." I laughed aloud as I pushed my way into the clearing I'd found earlier. A little pond stretched out in the middle, and a turtle ducked its head below the surface.

Wake stopped breathing for a second and back pedaled, pulling me back. "Not here. I can't be here." He said with his eyes widening.

"What? Why?" I asked.

He yanked back, pulling us behind tall grass so that we could no longer see the clearing. "It's the water. I can't be near water. I'm scared to death of it."

"What?" I laughed. "You're joking right? Oooo, I'm a glass of water and I've come to kill you!"

He didn't laugh back, and the panicked look was still in his eyes.

I stopped laughing and bent down to him. "Are you really serious?"

He nodded and sank to a sitting position, calming his hyperventilation. "Big water masses."

"Why are you scared of water?"

He leaned back to lay down. "It's not a pretty story." He answered. "Not one that would be good to share."

"I want to know."

He closed his eyes eyes and took a deep breath. "The School got me at one point." He paused, waiting for my reaction. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, urging him to go on. "They were trying to test out my wing durability along with some other kids. I was the only bat-human hybrid though. We'd have to wait in line, and watch what happened to each other." He shuddered. "The test was done by hooking a rope up to the bottom of a boat and tying the other end to our ankles. The boat would run laps in a big pool area, while we had to stay above water. That was our incentive - Stay above water by working your wings to the point of beyond exhaustion, or drown. I'd watched countless other kids drown in that pool. And when it was my turn, I'd lost hope." He brought his hands up to press on his temples as if it would keep away the bad memories. "When the boat started up, it was like they were trying to rip my leg and wings off at the same time. Since my wings weren't feathered, the air had nowhere to slip through, and they caught the wind like a para-sail. I skidded across the top of the water, barely keeping my chest out. I caused huge 'wakes' when my wingtips met the water. I made it through, though."

I laid down next to him. I didn't know what to say.

"That's how I got my name." He said screwing his eyes shut against the memory. "It's a stupid reminder of what happened. Of how all of those other kids drowned, and I was the only one to make it out alive."

"Wake..." I started, and then dwindled off, cursing myself for just using his name after he'd just said how much pain it caused him. How could he look at anything with wings and not think about those kids? Especially when he looked at me? I was just like them.

"That's why I joke a lot, ya know? You only live once. Why not make the best of every second?" He smiled softly and opened his eyes, turning his head to me. "Every moment is precious. And every moment with you seems to be ten times more."

I blinked stupidly. Wake was like the freaking prince from those fairy-tails. Funny, cute, and absolutely the sweetest thing on the planet. "Haha..." I said not knowing how to respond and screwing up the moment. "I didn't see that one coming."

He smirked and messed with a strand of my hair before turning to look at the sky again. "You want to know how I always know when you're lying or telling the truth?"

I nodded to get out of the awkward moment.

"I hear everything." He said tilting his head. "Having super sensitive bat ears lets me hear your heart beat right now." He winced. "Sorry. That sounded weird."

I shrugged. "So? I'm weird."

He smiled. "People's heart rates naturally speed up when they are lying. That's how I tell. It's as simple as that."

I thought a moment back to when I was quizzing him on true or false. As I was going through the list in my head, he rolled over and his face became inches from mine. I held my breath with sudden panic. I wasn't ready for my first kiss or anything! What about my make-up?

"You are either really excited, or about to go into a panic attack." He said concerned. "Which one is it?"

"Really excited." I lied.

He turned back onto his back, which kind of disappointed me. "And you still insist on lying to me." He sighed. "I apologize for making you uncomfortable. Too, close?"

"No."

He rolled his eyes. "You know you can't trick me."

I wondered whether or not he liked me. Angel said he did, and said that I was stupid for not seeing it. She also made it pretty clear of how much she didn't want me around him. I could keep myself from asking, since I'm cursed with a mouth that never stops moving. "Do you like me?" And suddenly I felt like I would die of embarrassment.

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "I thought I've been making it obvious."

"Oh." I said relieved. I shifted my head to where it laid on his arm. "Good. I like you too."

I think at some point we drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Wake POV

"Ha! I knew it!" Were the first things I heard when I woke up. "You scheming little butt!" Angel's face was as red as a tomato, and, boy, was she mad.

"Calm down." Nudge said groggily.

"No!" She said angrily. "I told you I'd be watching you." She squinted her eyes at me before lunging forward and kicking me where no man should ever be kicked. I squeaked in pain. "You deserve it!" She said storming off.

Nudge was trying not to laugh while checking to make sure I was okay. "Will you live?"

I was holding my breath in agony. "Your... sister... is... the devil."

She laughed. "Tell me something I don't know."

* * *

**Once, again, this chapter is dedicated to the author _SoNotPerfect_! Woohoo for you! :D**

**And I wanted to do a shout out for the few of you that reviewed, like _Wolf and MR Lover _and _supersexyghotmew95. _You guys rock too!**

**As for the rest of you... I'm very disappointed. What happened to all of those reviews? It's like I've totally disappeared! You guys aren't making me too happy... :[  
**


	10. CottonCandy Monster & The Blue Eyed Girl

**Hello guys! Yay! I got some more reviews for that last chapter! And to all of you people that pay very special attention, I had accidentally switched Gazzy and Iggy for half of a scene. Whoops! I fixed it though, so no worries now.**

**Shout out goes to _Chant de la lune hante _! Your reviews crack me up! Is that a bad thing since they always threaten me? Haha! Jk! :D**

**Anyway, ya'll are great. Thank you to those that continue to review for every chapter!**

**Random thought of the day: How many of you actually like Wake?**

**P.S. If you do like him, don't hate him for what happens at the end of this chapter! It's not his fault!**

**So, there is going lots of different POVs. Sorry if it's annoying. Is that annoying to you?**

* * *

Max POV

And before I knew what I was saying... "Fine." I breathed out, finally reaching my breaking point. They'd been begging me to go to the local amusement park all morning and I just couldn't take one more 'please' from either of them. I mean, Nudge busted down the bathroom door in our hotel this morning while I was taking a shower just to continue her begging. Come, on! I was in the bathroom for crying out loud!

"Yay!" Nudge squealed and squished me in a hug. Angel ran off to get the others.

"Training first!" I called after her. She threw a thumbs up and I watched her blonde curls bounce out my bedroom door. I sighed, and Nudge let go. "We'll go down and train by the beach for an hour."

She nodded. "Thank you!" She leapt up and ran from the room to go after Angel.

When I was alone, I groaned and flopped backward on my bed. This awful change of events could only be made worse if Total were to suddenly show up and start critiquing me on my posture. He was like some kind of mother. I scrunched my eyebrows at the thought. He would make one really weird messed up mom. I could picture it now, Angel walking into school on Carrer Day with Total on a leash so the kids could ask what job he had. And Total would end up saying something like 'Lawyer, or Archeologist.'

I shook my head. What the Hell was I thinking? "It's official. I'm losing it." I said weirded out. I turned my head. "Do you think I'm losing it?" I asked the lamp on the night stand. I blinked, half expecting it to answer.

Well, at least it didn't say yes...

"Max," I jumped at the sudden voice, "are you talking to inanimate objects again?"

I turned my head to see Iggy standing in the doorway. "Yup."

He grinned as Gazzy walked up beside him. "Well, we wanna get going to the Park."

Gazzy laughed, and poked Iggy. "Since Iggy can see, he wants the experience of driving a car before he switches back."

I smiled at them. "Alright. Get the others into the air."

* * *

I explained my idea of Total being a mom to Fang on the way.

He laughed. "I was thinking," He said making a face, "I'm more closely related to Total now, since I have wolf DNA. And since that's true. Wouldn't Total be like some kind of domestic Eraser?"

"I guess." I said grinning at the thought. "An Eraser is part wolf, bird, and human. Total is part dog, bird, and human... Wow. The idea that Total is closely related to vicious fighting machines is-"

"Exactly!" Fang said, and we burst into laughter.

Slowly, we glided down to the cliff we'd stayed at when we first arrived in France. "Oh, God!" Nudge hissed. "Iggy! The ground is still black from... that unspeakable thing you did!"

"Be careful when lighting a match around here." I informed Wake. He gave me a confused look while Angel finished up my thought.

"His farts linger."

Now, Wake was disgusted.

"Okay!" Gazzy chirped. "Let's get this over with. Who's up first?"

After only a second's thought, I pointed to Iggy, and then at Fang. "You two."

Iggy grinned, and Fang's mouth dropped open. "No, way. You want me to fight with the walking methane? And he's probably got bombs all over him!"

I looked at Iggy as his grin faded. I held out my hand, curling my fingers to beckon him over. "Give them up." I said.

He bowed his head as he pulled an explosive from his sleeve. And then another. And another. By the time he pulled out a tenth from the same sleeve, my eyes were popping out of my head.

"Holy crap!" I said as he pulled out an eleventh. "How many do you have on you right now?"

His face reddened in embarrassment. "Two hundred."

I rolled my eyes. I should've expected that. I heard Wake whisper something that included the words 'not possible'. I slung my backpack around and dropped it in front of me while digging through it's contents. "Drop your clothes, and go put these on." I smiled, shoving a clean change of clothes at his chest.

He nodded. "I'll be back." He said seriously in the Terminator's voice, turning to leave.

I smirked. "Meanwhile-"

"You and Wake fight!" Angel squeaked excitedly.

I was about to protest when I heard Angel's thought's in my head. _I found him and Nudge asleep together. Alone... _She taunted.

"Sounds good to me!" I said, springing to my feet. I smiled a convincing smile while boiling on the inside. Nudge was becoming quite the rebel lately. My sweet innocent little rebel.

Wake stood up and smiled back at me, although, the look in his eyes told me he knew I wasn't happy. "What's wrong?" He mouthed the words silently as we circled each other. I shook my head, prancing to warm up.

"Go!" Angel squealed. I quickly lunged, faked a punch, and swiped my leg under him. As he fell back, his wings shot forward, and something latched onto my hair. My head was yanked down as he vaulted over my hunched form and he kicked my bottom, sending me onto my face. I spun around seething, muttering curse words under my breath. This kid was fast.

"How'd you do that?" Nudge asked, her face shocked along with the rest of the flock.

Wake held out his wing and wiggled the little posable thumbs at the top of it. "Bat wings." He smiled. "It's like having an extra pair of hands." Without pause, he lunged at me. I closed my eyes as I felt the weird tickle as he completely passed through me. He fell to the ground on the other side, unprepared to have to take on his own weight. He spun and went at me again, his fists went flying through me uselessly. He growled.

"Get her from behind!" The Gasman shouted out blindly.

"That won't work in this situation, Gaz." He said, his nostrils flaring. I started cracking up, enjoying myself way too much. "This isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair!" I cooed, becoming unexpectedly solid and grabbing his fist during mid-swing. I flipped him over my shoulder. "So deal with it!" I put a foot on his chest and leaned down to his face. "Oh, and leave my baby girl alone."

Wake grinned and winked. "We'll see." With the reach of his wings, he reached up and tickled me with those awkward little thumbs. I laughed harshly, and he bucked me off. He rolled over and we stood up to faced each other.

I laughed when his fist passed through me again. "I'm calling this a tie!" He said spinning away from me in frustration.

I made an immature face at the back of his head.

"Fine." Angel said with a smile. "Iggy's back anyway, so Fang and him can fight."

Wake nodded curtly, and went to sit next to Nudge. She patted his arm soothingly, while he glared at the ground.

"Alright, Iggy." Fang mumbled. "Try to keep this fight stink-free, please."

Iggy grinned an impish smile that guaranteed trouble. "No promises."

"And, Go!" Angel shouted gleefully. And I had to agree with how into this she was. Watching each other fight was very entertaining. I mean, picture a WWE wrestling match, only ten times cooler, throw in some wings, and give them supernatural powers. See how awesome it is? Now _that _is a fight that you _don't _wanna miss.

Iggy, being himself, started throwing his voice around and screamed like one of Fangs fangirls off his blog. "Don't hurt me Fang! I love you! Like, totally Fly On and stuff!" Iggy laughed. "Please can you sign my - oof!" He was cut off by getting punched while pulling his shirt off.

"Stop playing around, Ig." I chided through my own laughter.

Iggy got up and spun a kick at Fang's chest. It sent Fang stumbling back. Iggy's eyes glazed over and he froze. Moments later Fang was charging full speed at him.

"I can see!" Iggy said, suddenly coming out of his stupor. And then, his face fell. "Oh crap."

Fang football tackled Iggy to the ground.

"I quit!" He yelled, punching Fang's chest.

"That's not allowed, Iggy!" Nudge said surprised.

"But I'm not Iggy!" He struggled against Fang. "Iggy and I just switched back!"

All our eyes turned toward the real Iggy now. He frowned. "Well, this is going to make driving a go cart a whole lot harder."

* * *

Would't-You-Like-To-Know POV

"So the one called Max has a new power, no?" The man in the dark robe asked.

I nodded.

"Well then, that just means one more weapon that could cause our little captive to escape." He turned back to the small Latino looking guy at the back corner of the shadowy room. "Max is scaring me." He said with false emotion, tracing the side of the barely conscious man's face.

"What do you want me to do about it?" I asked. I stood still, my eyes flicking over to the knife hanging from his belt. My eyes blinked in time with the rhythmic drip of water above our heads.

Master clucked his tongue. "Nothing." He purred. "Not yet. But for now, we can interrogate."

"I'll never help you." The prisoner spat.

"Suite yourself." The dark clothes in charge of me spun toward at me. "Go bring his family to me."

I bowed and turned to go.

"Wait!" The tan man screamed. "Leave Ella and Valencia out of this! I'll tell you everything I know!" I heard him struggle against his restraints. "Please! Wait!"

I continued until I heard the low whistle that my master used when he needed me. I walked back immediately. "Yes, sir?"

"Let's hear what he has to say." He smiled knowingly. I smiled back and nodded, while he turned with his knife pressed to Rodrigo's cheek. "Now tell me, Mr. Martinez, what do you know about Maximum Ride?"

The prisoners face went pale. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Let me help jog your memory." Master said. "She's your wife's eldest daughter. Ring any bells?"

* * *

Iggy POV

"Go carts!" I hissed at Max.

I could practically feel her glare. "I said no."

"Go carts, or I'm not cooking for a whole month." I decided. I heard gasps from all around me.

"What!?"

"No."

"Max, give him the freaking go cart!"

"Iggy!"

"Max!"

"You can do this to us!"

"Shut up!" Max breathed. It instantly got quiet. I heard her sigh silently to herself. "Fine. We'll go to the go carts, but I want the world's biggest chocolate chip cookie after this."

I fist pumped. "Deal." I held out my hand, and Gazzy grabbed it.

"I'm going to take Wake on a rollercoaster." Nudge said, pleading in her voice. "He's never been on one."

To my surprise, she actually told her yes. Nudge squealed, and her and Wake's foot steps faded away. Just as I was about to ask about it, I heard her whisper. "Angel, keep an eye on Wake."

"K." Angel responded. I heard her skip off.

I rolled my eyes.

"What?" Max gasped.

"You are being like those over protective dads in all of the Disney movies."

"Am not!" She argued like a kid.

I sighed. "Okay, whatever. Can we go now?"

Her answer made me smile.

"I'm too young to die."

Gazzy guided me to the race track. I could already hear the gasoline and rubber from all the way back in the line.

This was going to be _great_.

* * *

Nudge POV

"Cotton Candy?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "I'll puke on the ride."

He grinned. "Come on! I've heard the legendary stories about you eating nine Snickers Bars without barfing." He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the cotton candy machine. "A little Cotton Candy isn't going to hurt you." I laughed as he dragged me along, starting to chant, "Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!"

_I'm coming with you._ Angel said in my head. I sighed and rolled my eyes. _Iggy really wants to go on one of the speed track races. Putting the blind kid behind the wheel is scaring Max, so the rest of them are going with her. She wants me to keep an eye on you._

I looked over my shoulder at her and frowned. She gave me a huge smile and waved innocently. _Please leave me alone._ I thought back at her while Wake struggled with the do-it-yourself stand.

She shrugged happily as she came up and grabbed my other hand that Wake wasn't holding. _Don't worry. It will be like I'm not ever here... as long as he doesn't try anything. Then I'll smash his head into the railing._

"Ahh!" Wake said as he pulled the paper cone up perfectly wrapped in candy, along with his entire arm. I giggled. He wiggled his fingers somewhere deep in the fluffy mass. The cotton moved. "Ah! It's alive!" He yelled, holding his arm as far away as possible and acting like he was shielding me from it. "Get back, beast! Before I tear you to shreds!"

"I beat you to it!" I said laughing so hard that I was snorting. I plucked a piece off his arm and ate it.

"Madam! You saved me!" He laughed while paying the cart man.

The cashier dude gave us a weird look and thanked us. I smiled back. I'd been given weirder glances.

I followed along as Wake dragged me to the next ride like a little kid. He had the goofiest face on as he stared at what was going to be his first-ever rollercoaster. "Woah." He said with his jaw dropping open.

I laughed and dragged him and Angel toward the entrance.

"Ma'am! Excuse me? Stop, please!" Someone called after me. I stopped and turned around to see a man in the park uniform. He brought over a wooden staff with height marks engraved into it. "Come here." He motioned at Angel. She walked over to him as he measured her against the rod. He tsked. She obviously was half a foot under the height minimum.

"I'm tall enough, sir." She said smiling. I cringed when I saw the man's eyes glaze over.

He nodded and straightened up. "Have a nice ride, Ma'am."

Angel twirled happily. "Thank you! You should really get back to your post. You don't want any kids under the height limit to get on."

His head quickly jerked up and down as he spun around walked back to his place.

I turned to walk forward again, but Wake's facial expression stopped me. "Are you okay?"

His eyes were bugging out of his head. "Will I know if she ever does that to me?" He blinked and continued to walk.

I didn't want to scare him, so I answered differently. "She wouldn't do that to you." I squeezed his hand reassuringly.

He groaned and threw his head back. "Sometimes I wish I didn't have the ability to tell when you're lying."

I face-palmed. I was an idiot to keep forgetting that he was a living lie detector. I bumped his shoulder with mine. "You'll be fine." I smiled and plucked another piece of candy from his arm. "Now help me eat the rest of this. I'm sure they won't let you on the ride with it."

He brought his arm up to his mouth and tore into it like a dog playing tug of war. Angel giggled while I laughed. Gradually we slipped into a conversation about the morning. Wake told a story about how he went to a party and crashed a Halloween costume contest. He won first, of course, right after he spread his wings. I went on to tell a story about Total's first bath. That one had us all cracking up.

"He was screaming like a woman!" I snorted.

"This is so inhumane!" Angel bared her teeth and gave her best Total impression. "I do not need to smell like cupcakes! Hey, give me back my manly stink!"

Wake snickered, and I pointed forward toward the line moving up. The girl in front of us stopped abruptly short and Wake walked into her as she bent down to pick up a dime.

"Hey!" She snapped, turning to immediately growl at me.

"We apologize." I said holding up my hands in surrender.

"Better be." She huffed and spun back around to continue walking.

I glared at the back of her head, hoping her tan skin and brown frizzy hair would suddenly catch fire. "Jeez," I breathed. "Rude much?"

Wake glanced at me confused. "I think I've met her before." He said tugging us forward too.

I grimaced at him. "I'm sorry about that." I muttered honestly while stuck out my bottom lip. It would've been hard to forget the girl's eyes. They were bright blue, maybe the color of stained glass in the sunlight.

When we came up behind her again, Wake was staring at a scar on the back of the her arm. He leaned forward. "Kazin?" He asked, squinting at it like it was a book with words too small to read.

The girl turned around with an angry look on her face. When her gaze rested on Wake, her blue eyes widened as big as the moon. "WAKE!" She practically screeched like an owl. She threw her arms around him, and before I knew it, her lips were smashed against his. Her eyes fluttered closed in bliss. I blinked with shock before his grip on my hand loosened... and dropped.

* * *

**(Shields Wake protectively) Don't hurt him! He didn't do anything wrong! She just laid one on him!**

**Nudge is clearly going to be upset.**

**And wait. Did we just find out that Ella's dad really is alive? The Voice wasn't lying about that?**

**And... Iggy may be developing a new power soon. Just say'n...**

**Review maybe?**


	11. Sad Ch, Not gonna use a funny name :(

**How are all of you? Sorry to leave you hanging, but it happens sometimes. :P So, I got a decent number of reviews again, but I'm just dying to get to 100! It seems so far away, but I think it could happen! Optimism makes me happy!**

**Random thought of the day: How many people actually read my story and don't review?**

_**TOTALLY AWESOME, AMAZINGNESS SHOUT-OUT TO THE GUEST WHO SIGNED ON AS "LIV"**_

**YES! I TOTALLY WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR! - In fact, I'm halfway through writing _my own trilogy_, and I plan on trying to get it published before I get out of high school! I'm so excited, and you completely made my day when you asked about that! YAYYY! Absolutely screaming with happiness!**

**And I'm extremely sorry to say that this chapter is mostly kinda sad, so please don't hate me. We get a glimpse of Wake's past. Oh, and we also get a sneak peak at Iggy's new power. - No matter what it seems like, or how confusing it is, it will be explained next chapter! And no, he's not just going to get his eye sight back, but it will be a smidge cooler, if I do sy so myself.**

* * *

Iggy POV

"Iggy, I don't think they want a blind kid driving one of their cars." Fang said sitting down next to me. "Plus, I'm pretty sure it's against the parks rules. I swear it was on the sign back there."

"What sign? I didn't see one." I said, smiling and reving the engine. "Ooo, this sound sweet!"

"Ha, ha. Very funny Ig... except it's not, because you'll kill me." I heard Fang triple check his harness even after the ride authorities came by. "Come on. This is a bad idea. You know Ella and Dr. M wouldn't want you doing this."

I frowned hard. "Don't bring Ella into this. And as for Dr. Martinez, what she doesn't know, won't hurt her."

"That's what you're not getting! _I'm_ the one that's going to get hurt, and _I'm_ the one that's gonna end up in the hospital!" He shook me. Then added more loudly, "AGAIN! And in case you haven't figured it out by now, I HATE HOSPITALS!"

"Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it." I laughed, and stomped on the gas when the sound of engines taking off suddenly filled my ears, along with some very prominent cursing.

Fang's hand was gripping my shoulder like he would personally throw me out of the car if we crashed. "Holy freaking cow!" Fang hissed. "Turn right! Turn right!"

I waved him off, earning more curse words since I'd brought one hand of the wheel to do so. "We're fine." I cackled, loving the feeling of the good kind of adrenaline coursing through me. "I'm following the sound off the person infront of me. It's not like I'm actually racing!" I looked over at him.

"Eyes on the road!" He yelled.

I grinned and threw my head back, drowning the car's engine out with the sound of my laughter. "You have no idea how stupid you just sounded!" I turned my head in his direction again. "Pft! Eyes on the road." I mumbled, smirking.

"IGGY!" He bellowed as I swerved just to get on his nerves. "THAT'S IT! GIVE ME THE FREAKING WHEEL!"

His arms reached across me, and I pushed him back with my shoulder. "No! You're gonna make me crash!"

"Then let me drive!" He argued.

His hands went for the wheel again, but this time my hand came up to his head and I held him back by his hair. "Dude! Are you trying to become Rapunzel? Get a trim!" His hands shot up to detangle my fingers from his mop. "And a brush."

As soon as his skin came into contact with mine, I stomped on the break. He tried yanking my grip off, but my fingers locked tighter without my meaning to. I was in shock.

"Fang?" I asked, moving my head around.

He punched me in the arm. "Let go, you idiot!"

"Fang... I can see."

There was a long pause and he stopped struggling. "You what?" He asked.

I blinked in confusion. "I can see myself, like my own face." I turned to look at him, and gasped. "And now I'm looking at my own eyes."

Fang dropped his hands, and so did I. "What are you talking about?"

My sight quickly vanished and was swallowed by darkness. "It's gone now." My eyes widened in panic. "I could see, but now it's gone."

* * *

Nudge POV

I blinked back tears as my throat constricted and blocked me from breathing. Wake had tensed up and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides, but he wasn't pulling back. His widened eyes flicked over to me, and I suddenly felt like I was going to puke.

_Nudge?_ Angel thought to me.

I immediately started hyperventalating. Who the Hell did this chick think she was? Either my legs were going to turn to Jell-O and drop me, or I was about to deck someone. I could not wait in line next to her, especially when she just laid one on Wake!

Screw rides.

I turned on my heels and ran. "Excuse me. Pardon me." I choked out as I quickly shoved backward through the line, earning myself dirty looks.

"Nudge!" I heard his voice calling me. "Nudge, wait!"

I pushed on faster. I didn't want to have to face him. Not when I was like this. I launched myself over the railing with the first chance I had and took off in a full-out sprint.

Over Wake's calls and Angel's mind babble, I could hear the other girl calling for Wake. I just couldn't believe this. I was just being thrown away after everything?

I took a sharp left and jumped into the girl's bathroom. I picked a stall, threw open the door, and ducked inside. I stepped up on the toilet seat lid and leaned against the wall. My breathing was fast and I knew it was only a matter of seconds before the tears would come pouring down. It's not everyday that the guy you think you love turns out to already have a girl. I was more mad than anything. I grabbed a fist of my hair in one hand and puched the stall wall with the other, knocking the first set of hinges off and leaving a decent sized dent with my enhanced strength.

I blinked in astonishment at the damage I'd done. This wasn't me. This wasn't the way I should be acting, but I felt like taking out an entire army of Erasers at the moment.

"Nudge?" I heard his voice echo in the bathroom. I hadn't noticed that all of the people were suddenly gone. "Nudge, I know you're in there."

There was no point in trying to hide in an empty bathroom if he could hear my heart beating the way it was. "Go away." I whispered, knowing he would hear me no matter how loud I spoke.

I listened to his steps get closer. "Nudge? Which stall are you in?"

"Don't play stupid." I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking. "You know which one."

In the next moment my stall door was ripped off it's frame and a big, burly Eraser stepped up. It grinned. "Oh, Nudge, there you are!"

I screamed when I realized Wake's voice was coming from the furry mouth that clearly wasn't his.

"Calm down, sweetie. Us Erasers get upgrades too." It smiled and reached out for me. "I think I'll keep this voice."

"Wake!" I shrieked, sraining my vocal chords and hoping he'd hear me while I tried to squeeze through the impossibly small gap where the wall almost touched the cieling. When I realized the attempt was pointless, I placed a foot on the wall and launched of of it, using the force to slam my fist into the wolfish face. He fell back with a thud. I jumped over him and turned toward the exit. My heart dropped.

Fifty freaking Erasers.

There was no way I'd win this, but I'd go down fighting anyway. I took up a stance. Some laughed and one spoke up. "You mutants are hard to get as a group. But when one sad, weak little one strays from the herd..." He shook his head in mock sadness, "... well, it's not that hard to take it down."

"So, you want me dead?" I asked, my lips curling back in a snarl.

"No." The wolf said flatly, taking on Jeb's voice. "The man's voice I use now wants to see the flock. This is the only way we can get the others to come with us. Take one, and the rest will follow."

I bent my knees slightly, prepared to fight. "I'll kill you." I focused on the metal stalls, and they obeyed my will, flying at the Erasers. That just let all Hell break loose. Iron faucets were ripped from their places on the sink, water sprayed in every direction, and Erasers were falling over each other. With as much heck as I brought, it took only seconds until I was thrown up against a wall and dragged through the doors. I thrashed around in the bag they had me in. When I heard the door close behind us, I also was aware of the sound of Wake yelling and screaming. I screamed out for him too.

* * *

Wake POV

Those sneaky dogs. I knew something was up as soon as I heard the ringing in my ears. Someone was playing high pitch sound frequencys screwing with my hearing. When I said loud noises were painful, I never thought about that time when someone blew a dog whistle and I collapsed on the ground in agony.

I strained against the pain I was in now, covering my ears and growling. This ringing was even out of a wolf's hearing range, which was probably why the Erasers were never effected back at School. They had some machine playing the continuous high pitch squeal. And then I saw them, looking completely human, running off with a potato sack thrown over a shoulder.

I was practically deaf by that point, but I could still hear Nudge screaming bloody murder. People just stepped back and stopped and stared. I started in on a run, tripping occasionaly because my internal balance in my ears was thrown off. Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me around. I raised a fist to knock out who ever it was, but they grabbed my other hand.

"Wake, are you insane! Are you trying to kill yourself?" Kazin was shaking me. "Stay away from them! They'll take you back to that hellhole!"

I jerked my arms out of her grasp and fell on my hands and knees. I stumbled up and kept running for Nudge, her screams getting hopeless.

"You idiot!" Kazin yelled after me. She caught up easily. "You can't fight like this!"

I didn't even give a second glance at her. I followed them through a crowd as they dissapeared into a thin tree thicket. By the time I entered the small forest area, they were exiting on the other side. Kazin kept a constant pace by my side. "Go after her!" I finally spoke.

She shook her head.

I yelled at her, screaming swear words. I burst through the trees on the other side, willing to try and fly in my tipsy state. My wings raised up partially, and then stopped dead when I saw the scene in front of me.

Ocean, as far as I could see.

And Nudge in the squirming bag, on a boat out in the water.

I was frozen. I wanted to take off after her and start kicking butt, but I suddenly felt like lead. Normally, I would have stumbled back from the sight of the water and boat, but I stayed there, gaping at Nudge floating away. On the inside, I was yelling and going after her. That was what I wanted to do most in the world. But in reality all I could get myself to do...

was stand there and watch.

I stepped forward, finally convincing my body to go, but when the next wave rolled up and hit my toes, I had a sudden flashback that my PTSD brought on sometimes. The flashbacks always made me blackout, and this was the worst time for it to happen.

*-PTSD VISION-*

"Daddy, I'm scared." Jean said to me. "What do you think they are going to do to us this time?"

I looked down at Jean. She was five years old, and this was the only life she'd ever known. I'd just gotten to The School a few months ago, and I was still baffled at what the people did to kids like us. Jean had started calling me her dad after I'd helped her reset her leg when she dislocated her hip. I considered her my adopted sister.

Kazin bent down. "We don't know, sweetie." She stroked Jean's aburn hair that looked twice as dingy against her pale, white skin. "We just have to be ready."

Jean blinked back tears. "I don't like them. I don't like it when they hurt you guys." She threw her skinny, boney arms around Kazin. "Can't you fight back? You could beat them. You guys are strong."

"Don't worry about us." I whispered to her. "We'll be fine. I promise."

Then the Erasers came in. Kazin and I stepped in front of Jean as usual. They had never actually done anything too dramatic with Jean yet, and it'd been months since they last took her.

"Not today, kittys." One of the Erasers grabbed me by the arm and shoved Kazin back, pinning her to the wall as it sneered in her face. She went into total lockdown mode, and froze, becoming unresponsive to anything. They hurt us less when we did that. She and I were suddenly snapped out of it when Jean let out an ear-shattering scream.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Jean shook, fighting the wolf holding her.

"Let her go!" Kazin shrieked, and for the first time in our lives, we fought back. We'd never fought before, and we only managed to take down one eraser before we were pinned. They shot both me and Kazin with some dark fluid from a syringe, and I instantly felt like I was floating, and nothing was wrong in the world.

"Take the oldest bird away." One of them barked. They dragged Kazin somewhere that I wasn't focussed on, and she mumbled dopily to the Eraser about how he was a cute puppy dog.

I followed along drunkenly as they pulled me out with Jean at my side. She grabbed my hand in a tight squeeze and I smiled down at her. The Eraser jerked my arm away from hers and locked my fists together behind my back with the quiet clicks of handcuffs. Jean whimpered pathetically.

" 'S all right." I reassured her. I tried to say more, but my mind continued to wander. I was so out of it that I hadn't even seen which door we were shoved through.

They pushed me, without warning, into a chair. They pulled a leather strap around my neck and chest, while tying my ankles to the wooden legs. My arms were still crammed painfully behind me all thanks to the handcuffs.

"Daddy?" Jean whispered. "What are they gonna do to you? Do you know now?"

My mind wasn't working correctly, so I had no filter to keep me from saying what I always thought, but never said aloud. "I don't know." I pondered. "Maybe they'll end my life today. Kill me. Maybe I'd be happy for all of this to end."

"No!" She yelped. She squished me in a hug, before the wolves yanked her back. "Don't die! Keep fighting! Fight like you did back in the room! Fight for me! Fight for me, Daddy!"

Seeing her tears sobered me up enough to get out a sentence that was comprehendable. "Jean." I said with a sudden intensity. "I will always fight for you. Always."

"Enough with the touchy talk." A whitecoat said stepping in. "Number 375861, you're coming with us." Erasers picked up Jean and walked to a door on the other side of the room. The whitecoat continued to discuss his intentions to his collegues as they filtered into the room behind him. "That one was obviously a faliure. It hasn't developed any power traits yet, and it was created five years ago. We've decided to test out and experiment on number 549016. We want to see how much emotion it is capable of feeling. We are scared the weapon has to much of a mind range."

This stuff was confusing enough for any normal person, so I was barely registering that they were talking about Jean and me. They shoved me forward and pushed my face up to a wall. It split in half, the pieces sliding away from each other to reveal a glass one. I was in an observation room. My eyes landed on the large pool area below, and even through the drug, fear made it's way into my veins. It'd been exactly three months since I had last seen the room. The familiar boat stayed still on the glassy surface. I turned my head toward the door. I knew they'd be coming to get me soon. I closed my eyes and waited. I wouldn't quit when they put me down there. I would fight for Jean.

Minutes later, I heard a scream that made my blood freeze over. My eyes snapped open to focuss on the squirmimg body in the room below. With horrific realization, I saw that they were strapping my little girl to the boat. Jean was bawling as the platform she was standing on lowered and dissappaered beneath the water.

I would never put anyone through the details I had to suffer.

In the end, the scientists got their experiment. They watched my reaction with interest, as I flailed around as much as my restraints would allow.

...In their eyes, I failed.

...In my eyes, I had just seen them murder my little sister. Now, I would fight all I possibly could for her. I would fight until I brought the School down. I would fight for her - forever and always.

*-END-*

When I came back out of the flashback, I was on my knees in the sand. The speck of the boat was gone off of the horizon, and there was nothing but water. I looked down to my trembling fists. I hadn't gone after my Nudge. I let the same people take her, as whoever took my little sister out of my life forever. Small delicate hands grasped mine, and I sucked in a breath, thinking that they looked exactly like Jean's.

"Wake, don't do this to youself." Angel pleaded. "Stop it. I understand now. I get you. I saw it all."

I shook my head. I should've gone after her.

"She's right." Kazin said. "There was nothing you could have done, except accomplish getting yourself killed."

Suddenly, I was on my feet in a fighting stance, seething. She saw my movements and mirrored them.

"Calm it down, Wake." She cautioned.

I wanted to start yelling at her, saying that it was all her fault. She shouldn't have kissed me. We were never like that! She should have gone after that boat when I couldn't and had a stupid panic attack.

"It wasn't anyone's fault." Angel whimpered. She tugged on my arm. "Come on, the Flock is on it's way. We'll go after her together."

I looked down at her, and she blinked her blue eyes just the way Jean used to, with the slow start and then snapping shut at the end.

"We'll fight for them both." She said, giving my hand a squeeze. "We all will."

* * *

**Sooooo, what'dya think?**

**Too much Wake? Idk.**

**Do you want me to elaborate on Kazin a little more? Do you hate her already? I kinda do... but her backstory is gonna be just as tragic as Wake's! I feel so bad that she - absolutely - will NOT end up with him.**

**And Ooooo... Jeb wants to have a little 'family talk' with the flock? Let's see how well this turns out...**

**Max POV in the next chapter I think!**

**And of course, REVIEW MAYBE? Tell me what you liked _and _disliked. Seriously! Criticism!? :D**


	12. My Code Name Is BBQ! What's Yours?

**Holy Cheese-It's, Guys! I knew you were gonna get mad! I told you not to!**

**Everything gets explained in this chapter, and I promise you'll love Wake again! I knew ya'll would freak out. Gosh! Do ya'll not trust me? ;)**

**AND WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING UPDATING ON A TUESDAY? Well, you guys were too upset, and I don't like disappointing you. So, I spent all day at school yesterday and today writing this for YOU! I couldn't even begin to tell you what lessons we've learned - was too busy trying to make sure the teachers didn't catch me writing on here.**

**Anyway,**

**Random thought of the day: How hard is it to make freaking toast!?**

**Like, seriously! I eat toast every other day, and I've burned it EVERY TIME except for once! Yup. The chances of me being a chef is totally out of the question. :P**

**So enjoy Chapter 12! Starts off sad, but gets happy!**

* * *

Max POV

_Erasers got Nudge! We have to go after them._

My fist came down on the hood of the go-cart. "I knew it!" I hissed.

Gazzy looked up at me. He heard Angel's call too. "What?"

I pulled over and ripped my seat belt off before turning around and doing the same to Gazzy's. "Wake is a traitor. He set this whole thing up!"

_No, Max he didn't!_ Angel's thought rushed at me. _He really didn't! I was listening to his thoughts the whole time! You don't understand!_

"Well, you better make me understand, and fast." I said aloud due to the anger I was in, "If you don't convince me by the time we get there... I'm gonna kill him."

Angel's response came hurried and frantic. _Okay, quick version. __They ran into a friend he knew from the School. She used to like him, but he didn't like her back, yada yada yada - teenage drama. He always saw her as a sister. But when she showed up, she kissed him without thinking. He'd thought she was dead for the past two years, and she thought he was dead too. Wake locked up in shock. I mean literal shock, Max. His brain almost shut down._ She took a break, and I was almost at the roller coaster that they'd gone to. Gazzy was pumping his arms to keep up with me. So far, I wasn't buying it. I mean, since when do you just shut down from a kiss? _Remember when I said he has a lot of dark thoughts that he won't let loose? Well, his generation was hard-wired to become unresponsive when they are put into a situation with too much stress. Stress can be in the form of pain, fear, or anger. RAWR hotwired his brain like that incase the School ever got to him and tried to interogate him. Instead of taking the chance of him slipping up any kind of important information, they made it to where if get's in too much stress, his body won't respond to any of his reactions. You know, like if they tried to torture information out of him and he wouldn't be able to say anything. In this case, the extreme shock that his friend wasn't dead triggered the reaction. It wasn't his choice!_

"Not his choice for what?" I asked looking around. "I'm at the ride." I said, stopping abruptly. "Which way now?"

_Head toward the bathrooms and then through the tree thicket._ She directed. _But anyway, the thing is, Nudge saw him not fighting back the kiss. But she also didn't register the fact that he also didn't go with it. It was all because he physically couldn't do anything about it. Nudge only saw him not pull away, and she freaked. She ran off, kind of like you did when you saw Fang with Lissa-_

"This is not about me!"

_Anyway, I read Wake's thoughts and pushed Kazin off of him. As soon as I did that, he started functioning again. Kazin was mad at me, but Wake was greatful. The Erasers were waiting for one of us to stray, so Nudge was ambushed while we were looking for her. After that, Wake's thoughts became fuzzy. He was in a lot of pain from something he was hearing. And he was panicking. With the pain and panic, his body was about to shut down completely and blackout. He finally did when he reached the water. All of it together just became too much._

I thought about it, and it made sense, but some part of me was still mad at him for hurting my baby. I was running through the trees when I saw Fang and Iggy running along beside us. We nodded to each other. As soon as we came to the beach on the other side, all off my remaining anger subsided.

Wake was crying. Wake, the total clown/goofball, was crying. He was on his hands and knees with his fingers digging deep into the sand. He was muttering under his breath. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "Nudge, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I tried, but I couldn't do it. I really tried."

The next words he whispered caught me off guard.

"Nudge, I love you." He choked, then wrapped his arms over his head like he was in a weather drill at one of the schools we'd gone to.

Angel glanced at me, her eyes telling me how worried she was about him. _I think he might go into another blackout. He is stressing way bad._

"Which way do we need to go?" Fang asked, quick and to the point.

Angel shrugged. "It's like all of their heads have a shield up. I would have stopped them with my mind if I could."

Wake was suddenly at my side, his death grip holding onto my arm. His tear streaked face was now replaced with determination and was hard as stone. "I can hear it, but I won't be able to catch up." His grip tightened. "I can direct you if you can fly."

"You can hear it?" I asked in astonishment.

He nodded. "Can you carry me? We need to hurry."

I returned his steel grip and launched myself into the air with him. I instantly began to dip toward the ocean from his weight. His eyes widened and then started to flutter shut. I went into warp drive straight up to get a better view. "Stop stressing, kid!" I yelled at him as I turned a circle and saw nothing. "I need you to tell me where to go!"

"Nudge!" He exclaimed, his eyes snapping open. "I can do this for Nudge."

"Hurry up!"

"That way." He said pointing off to our left. "There's a lot of beating hearts on that boat."

I zoned in on the horizon and started up on the speed. I was perfectly fine, but Wake looked like his face was going to peel off in the wind. "You can here a heart beat?" I said disgusted.

He could only nod.

Within two minutes, a boat came up in my view. I'd already seen it by the time he tilted his head to it. What I saw scared me.

The ship was mostly underwater.

It was sinking fast and Nudge was no where to be found, although, the way the metal sides of the boat were caved in showed that she was the reason the boat was going down. Erasers clawed their way to the surface of the water, their panic and instinct for survival took over, and they weren't listening to some of the whitecoats' commands.

"Where is she?" I said panicking. "Where is Nudge?" I looked to him but he was holding his breath, his pulse in my hand was fast. "She can't breath under water like I can. She's going to die if you don't start talking."

"Let go of me." He said tense. "She's underwater and I can't direct you down there. I have to go in."

"Okay, sure. Just don't pass out, okay?" I dropped him, and he executed a perfect dive. I waited impatiently up above the water as his form sank below the surface.

* * *

Nudge POV

I struggled. They had me in the bag, and I couldn't get out.

Angel was in my head. She was reassuring me, but I couldn't tell her where I was at. She explained what happened with Wake, and it helped me calm down. It wasn't his choice. I fought hard to get free and slow the boat, but that happened to put a hole in the side of it.

Now I was suffocating.

I was surrounded by water, and the bag wouldn't allow me to swim. I knew I was dying, and I shut my mind off from Angel. She didn't need this playing in her head for the rest of her life.

I was pushed against the inside and squished tight as some force his me from outside. It made me gasp in shock, and I inhaled the water. At first I thought it was debris hitting me, but I felt arms tighten around my waist. Nothing is scarier than choking underwater, but suddenly, I was no longer submerged in it.

The bag was ripped open, and I was pulled into familiar arms, the air hitting my face. I gagged and puked over his shoulder, but his hold on me didn't loosen. "Wake." I breathed. "The water. You went in the water."

He squeezed me tighter. "Dear, God, Nudge. You scared me." He pushed his temple against mine, and his hand shakily brushed back my hair. "You know that I love only you, right? I didn't mean to do that back at the-"

I choked again and pushed a finger to his mouth. I was already having a hard time breathing, and this just made it worse. "You what?" I pulled back blinking.

He smiled and kissed my forehead. "I said, I love you."

I snorted and the biggest, dopiest grin spread across my face. "I love you, too."

He laughed at my reaction and he began turning us in the right direction. Max was smiling at us, and I could tell that it was taking all that she could to keep herself from tackling me. "You're okay!" She shouted relieved.

I nodded, but just then, the sound of something ripping filled my ears. "Jeez, my wing!" Wake yelled. For a split second, we watched the soaked duck tape fall back toward the ocean. In the next second, we were spiraling out of control while he tried to correct himself.

"My turn to save you." I laughed. I spread my own wings and took on the weight of Wake. The air slipped through my feathers a lot easier and smoother than his wings, and we were only gradually loosing altitude. I beat down hard and managed to hover.

He smiled. "You are a most beautiful creature." He quoted himself from the first few days we'd known each other.

I giggled while Max flew over and held out her hands. "I can hold him." She offered. I nodded and handed him over.

I was silent for a few minuts, but of course that wouldn't last.

"Princess!" Wake shouted out to me as we flew back. "You have saved me again! What is our tally?"

I thought it over. "Well, I saved you from the CottonCandy Monster. And I saved you from my imaginary friend - he was going to help Gazzy set up an exploding soda can." I tapped my chin. "And you just saved me from Erasers and drowning."

"And you saved me from plummeting to my death!" He joked, over exaggerating a lot. "So the tally is three for you, and one for me."

"Please." Max huffed. "I think saving her from Erasers, beats CottonCandy Monsters. Plus, I don't think Gazzy would ever call on the help of Nudge's imaginary-" She paused. "What the heck am I saying?"

Wake and I cracked up. Max rolled her eyes, and the corners of her mouth twitched up reluctantly. "Max!" I called through my snorts. "You have officially joined the MAD club. Wake and I made it."

He nodded. "It stands for Mutants And Dumbness." He beamed. "Brilliant right?"

"Absolutely mad." Max agreed, her smile widening.

I glanced at the two of them and shook my head. "My code name is BBQ!" I said excitedly. "It's short for Badass Beauty Queen." I added with a whisper.

Max snickered. "Suits you."

"And I'm FISH! It stands for Flying Ingenious Super Human!" Wake added, raising his eyebrows up and down.

I gaped at him and burst into laughter. "How do you come up with this stuff on the fly?"

He sighed as if it was obvious. "Because I just said I was a _Flying Ingenious Super Human_! It's in the name!"

Max was laughing so hard she almost dropped him.

"Alright, what's your name, Max?" I asked seriously. I fiddled with my shirt and squeezed out the extra water.

She shrugged. "I'm Leader, So Do As I Say?"

I sounded out the first letters, then frowned. "I don't think ILSDAIS is a very good code name."

"Neither do I." Wake agreed. "How about we change it just a smidge. Like... Do As I Say, You!"

"DAISY?" I asked nodding. "Sounds great."

"I am _not_ a flower!" Max said, offended.

"DAISY it is!" I chirped happily. I dove down to avoid a playful kick from Max, and glided to the shore. I came to a pounding halt. I turned to watch Max come in. I forgot how hard it was to land while carrying someone, and Max saved herself the struggle by dropping him into the shallow end.

She landed beside me as Wake froze up, standing out in the water. "Max!" I yelled. "You can't just put him in the water! He's terrified!"

"What?" She asked, confused. "But he was the one who went in for you."

I waded out to him, and dragged his stiff body out of the ocean. "Wake up, Wake!" I said shaking him lightly on the sand. His muscles relaxed.

His eyes rested on mine. "Water sucks."

Max muttered just loud enough for me to hear, "Some FISH we have."

Gazzy raised his eyebrows. "Max, what are you-?"

Max pointed at him. "And Nudge told me that you've been plotting evil plans with her imaginary friend!"

He held up his hands in surrender.

"Um..." Iggy said quietly. "Not to butt in, or anything... but I've got a new power."

Everyone got quiet and turned to stare at him.

* * *

Max POV

We were in a new hotel. After the kidnapping incident, we were all sleeping with a buddy. Without talking to me first, Angel arranged the hotel manager's room plan.

"For the three boys." She said handing the card to Iggy. Gazzy grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the elevators. Wake traveled close behind.

"For the two girls." She held out a card that Nudge quickly snatched up. She and Angel sprinted for the stairs racing the boys.

"For the Miss." She gave a card to Kazin. No one trusted her, and I wouldn't allow her to sleep with any of the flock.

Fang held my hand in his right, and reached out for our card with his left. "And lastly, for the couple." The lady sang. Fang grabbed the card and pulled me outside behind him. He had us fly up to our terrace, and opened the tiny glass doors.

"I bet we beat them all." He said smiling.

I walked out and stood out in the hall, making sure everyone made it safely to their rooms. Sure enough, we'd been the first up to our floor. After everyone was settled down, I walked back to my room. Fang glanced up from his place on the bed, his arms folded carelessly behind his head.

"I still don't see why we didn't just stick with the rest of the flock." I said tiredly. I rummaged through my bag for sleep clothes. "Angel doesn't need to be judging this kind of stuff."

Fang stayed quiet.

"You're helpful, mister dark and mysterious. Can you believe Ig's new power?" I asked, dumping the rest of my bag out. "I mean, being able to see whatever someone else see's as long as he's touching them? I wonder if he sees in black and white if he touches a dog." I bit my lip, looking at the mess on the floor. "Uhg! I don't have any more clothes!" I threw the empty bag at him.

"So." He said. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Typical Fang.

"I don't know!" I hissed. "But I've been wearing this same shirt for the past three days, so It's not going to matter if I shower and then put it back on!" I rubbed my temples in impatience. "Either way, you'll end up having to sleep next to me no matter how bad I smell."

"I could sleep on the couch." He offered.

"Fang..."

He waved me off. "Chill out. Wear some of my clothes." He pulled his pack from beneath the bed. He tossed me a black t-shirt and sweatpants.

I looked at him funny. His clothes? I was supposed to wear these?

"What?" He asked.

I shook my head, and took the black outfit into the bathroom. After taking a quick shower and actually combing through my hair for once, I stepped from the restroom and launched myself onto the bed, bouncing the already-asleep-Fang onto the floor.

He stood up groggily. "You smell... nice." He commented, sliding back into the covers next to me.

"And you smell like a dog." I said slyly. He rolled his eyes and turned on his back.

I nudged my way into the crook of his arm. It didn't even take him a second to respond by tilting my head up and brushing his lips against mine. He laid back after only a few moments, and I frowned. He was toying with me.

"That's it?" I asked, glaring.

"Only if you don't do something about it." He said with a smirk quickly growing on his face. "I can't be the one who always makes the first move."

"You do not..." I said fading out, realizing what he said was pretty much true. And then I remembered an exception. "Well, there was that one time..." I started again, but suddenly lost myself in his eyes as he tilted his head. How does he have the power to do that?

His already big grin almost reached his ears.

"Just kiss me already." I whined.

He paused only a moment to think about it before he pulled my body against his. His unnaturally hot lips met mine gently. I closed my eyes as they traced my jaw, and slowly trailed down to my neck, leaving spots of warmth.

"It's been a while." I said as his hand slid up my back to eventually tangle in my feathers.

He smiled against my shoulder. "Like two days."

"Still." I whispered. I locked my fingers in his hair.

"I know what you mean."

There was a sudden knock at the door, and I sighed. "We didn't even get started."

Fang pushed my hair back from my face and sat up. "Later." He promised, and kissed me for one more long second, before helping me off the bed.

"You two love birds get out!" Iggy slammed his fist against the door. "Angel said that Jeb is coming, and right now."

* * *

**Yah, Kazin. No one likes you!**

**And Iggy? Do you really have to ruin the moment?**

**Now... Are ya'll satisfied? Do you like this chapter? Yes? No?**

**Tell me in a review! :D**

**Oh, and does anyone else have such a difficult time making toast, or something stupid like that?**


	13. That Stuff Is Illegal In My Presence!

**Sorry it's been so long guys. My friend got me sucked into a TV series, and I just watched two whole seasons of it. Blame her! (...and me)**

**Okay, so random thought of the day: How funny can it get when you _accidentally_ knee the guy you like in his 'sensitive' spot?**

**That totally happened last week! I was dying of laughter while apologizing between the gasping for air. (It was a very sincere apology, by the way) Now, how did I manage this by accident? Well, it starts off with me being very protective over my sketch pad. The thing is like my diary, and I draw what I'm feeling... so... you don't touch it. Well, here he is, trying to steal it _again _and I'm sitting on a stool. He leans over to take it, I pull it to my chest, and I start to bring my knees up to curl into a ball and give it extra protection. Just as I was bringing my knee up - Oops! I was laughing so hard! I know, I'm awful. He said if it was anyone else, he would have punched me back in the boob. :P**

**Bwahahahahahaha! :D**

**Sorry, ya'll probably didn't care to know that, I just found it hilarious! So I won't keep you waiting any longer, although, this chapter is not the best...**

**Here's chapter 13!**

* * *

Max POV

I stopped, my hand inches from the handle in annoyance. My blood was boiling. I glanced at Fang, and registered that his shoulders had immediately tensed. "Jeb is what?" I ground my teeth together.

Fang opened the door for me since I was too busy trying to contain myself. Iggy was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning impaitiently on the opposite wall. "I said Jeb is coming." He ununciated slowly as if I were a child. He grabbed my hand so he could use my eye sight. "This way. Angel said he's almost here, and she said she doesn't like what he's thinking. She warned me to tell you not to kill him."

My eyes narrowed. "Why shouldn't I?" I asked, reaching out my free hand for Fang. He took it, and oddly enough, I relaxed a little.

Iggy shrugged. "Angel said it has something to do with Ella's dad."

I rolled my eyes. "What does he have to do with anything? He's dead! Been dead for the past two years from what Mom told me."

Iggy shrugged again as he brought us into the girls' room. "Guess you'll have to ask him yourself."

I entered the room to find the rest of the Flock (not including the new girl, Kaz-something-or-another, she must've been excluded from our little 'family reunion'). Nudge was sitting on one of the beds and was resting her head on Wake's shoulder while head rubbed her back. Gazzy took Iggy's hand for me while I glanced at the others. Angel fidgeted nervously by a desk lamp.

Fang leaned down next to my ear. "I don't know if I'll hold you back." He whispered. His voice would have sounded casual to anyone else, but I'd heard the silent edge to it like it was a snake waiting in hiding.

Angel's head snapped up at his comment. I expected to see anger, but there was a quiet, frizzled panic in her eyes. "You guys _need _to hear what he has to say. If you kill him..." She dwindled off and looked down at her feet, squeezing her hands into fists. She bit her lip subconsciously. "Just don't hurt him, okay. I can't tell you anything else because of your Voice. The Voice can't know any of this. Just, trust him."

I answered by staring at the window, daring my father to try and make a grand entrance. First, I'd take his legs out...

"Max, just chill it." Iggy said while making a face at Gazzy. "I know how you're feeling. I hate him too, but just try and act like a civilized human being." He made another strange face, and they both bust into laughter. Iggy loved testing out 'his' sight.

"Civilized human being?" Wake asked, already developing my sarcasm. "Because Max is known for her diplomacy."

I gave him a glare while Nudge snickered, and Fang chuckled behind me. I turned to shoot him a look, and he quickly smothered his laugh by locking his mouth shut and flicking away the invisible key.

"Madam Ride? May I speak to such a lovely drill sergeant as yourself?" Wake proceeded to get on my nerves.

"No."

He stood up and bowed anyway. Just as he was about to speak, Nudge pulled him back down and covered his mouth up. She was obviously holding back a smile, but she could feel that I wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Wow." Iggy commented. "I never thought I'd see the day that Nudge shut someone else up."

I smiled.

"Jeb's here."

I frowned.

"Think Zen." Fang hummed. "Ommmm." He pinched is pointer fingers to his thumbs and acted like he was meditating. He even crisscrossed his legs and hovered for a moment by flapping his wings.

"Look! He's floating!" Gazzy gasped.

The smile slowly spread across my face again, and Fang grabbed my hand. "Don't worry. I'll only let you get a few good punches in."

"Let me?" I laughed. "I could kick your furry dog butt if you tried to keep me from anything."

He raised his eyebrows, and his eyes drifted and locked on something behind me. I turned to see Jeb standing in our doorway.

...The longest most awkward silence in my entire freaking life.

Wake, of course, was the first to speak up. "Hi, Max's dad. So, would you mind telling me why everyone want's to strangle you?"

Jeb cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, there's a long story behind that, but-"

"OH! MY TOUBLE MAKING YOUNGUNS!" Total came sprinting in from the hallway.

"Total!" Nudge cried, holding her arms out for him to jump up.

"Younguns?" Gazzy questioned. "Isn't he younger than us?"

"Not in dog years, my friend!" Total said licking Angel's face before making his way to Nudge's outstretched arms.

Gazzy scratched his head in confusion. "But you're also part human."

"Only six percent!" Total chided as if he'd just proved his point.

"But that doesn't mean-"

"Don't argue with the dog." Iggy shushed.

Total stopped mid-lick and turned to give Iggy a look of defiance. "Don't call me a 'dog' like I'm some kind of wild animal!"

"Dogs aren't wild!" Iggy protested. "Besides, you just said you were _only _six percent human. So, really, you are an animal."

"Don't argue with the dog." Gazzy reminded him.

Total rolled his eyes, and just before he could start one of his super long speeches, Jeb interrupted.

"Guys, I think it's time we discuss removing Max's chips from her arm."

I crossed my arms over my chest, frowning, but I couldn't help the look of surprise that came into my eyes. "Wait, you want to _what_?"

Jeb nodded. "Max, listen! I said-"

"I know what you said!" I snapped. "But _why_?"

"Total could tell you, but he won't." He responded and at pointed to the excited, black fluffball. "Neither of us can. You've got extra ears listening in. The rest of the Flock's chips are unimportant though, they only tell the vital signs in your immune system. No one can listen or track you through theirs. We need to remove your chip though."

I raised an eyebrow in skepticism and complete disbelief that he wanted to actually help me out.

"I thought this was what you wanted, Max." Angel wondered.

"It was." I paused, glancing at her as if she were a hard jeopardy question. "You know what he does don't you?" I asked, knowing she'd already read it out of his head.

She nodded, her face pale. "You'd never forgive yourself if you didn't listen to him."

I sighed and looked to Total for confirmation. His head bounced up and down, making his ears flop like they were pigtails on a girl's head.

I turned back to Jeb and and stood there deciding. Fang's hand grazed my arm, and then he gave my shoulder a squeeze. I spun to look at him questioningly. "Angel just 'told' the rest of us what going on." He blinked and looked back over his shoulder, before returning his gaze back to me. His light and playful voice from a few minutes ago was gone, and the muscles in his jaw were tight with tension. "You have to do this, Max. I'll be right by your side, the whole way. I promise. And if Jeb does anything that looks the slightest wrong..." he lifted his head to glare at my father, "Then I'll kill him for you."

"Me too." Total growled.

Jeb nodded. "Sounds fair."

* * *

I shook my head vigorously. "No!" I strained away from the needle. "Oh, HELL NO!" I yanked my hand back and was across the room in a split second.

Jeb raised an eyebrow. "Max, I-"

"You will _not _give me Valium. No way. That stuff is illegal in my presence." I looked around our tiny hotel room, but couldn't think of anything else that would work. I looked back down to Jeb's handy-dandy-portable-surgical-kit. Because, you know, _everybody has one of those..._

"You won't be able to handle the pain. You'll thrash around, and if you do that, then I'll hit a wrong nerve. You'll lose the use of your hand permanently. For real this time. No more second chances." Jeb stepped forward and I glared.

"Knock me out with the toaster oven." I pointed to our little mini kitchen. "Have Fang deck me, or something. But if you try to touch me with that thing..."

Jeb stood there confused. "What do you have against Valium?" He turned back to his case, not expecting an answer, and searched for other medications.

I thought back to the first time I'd had my chip removed. That was just a subject I did not want to go back to. Angel suddenly burst in to laugher. "Max!" She giggled. "You never told me about that!"

"About what?" Gazzy asked.

I glared at her and barely shook my head. She smothered her laughter. "Nothing." She said innocently.

Nudge snapped her fingers. "I have an idea, but I don't think you're gonna like it."

"Give it a shot." I said carefully.

She scratched her head for a moment. "Well, if all you need to do is stay still... Angel could just control you, right? Like, use her mind powers, and you'd have no choice. She'd just make you stay still."

"But she'd still suffer the pain." Jeb said shaking a container of tablets. "She'd be in agony, and not be able to do anything about it." He poured out three pills and held them out to me.

"What's that?" Fang asked with suspicion.

"An alternative to Valium. It will knock her unconscious." He shook his hand impatiently, and I took them from him.

I gulped them down with a glass of water Angel handed me. "And no needle. Bonus!"

"How long until it works?" Fang asked.

Jeb gestured to the bed. "Almost immediately. We should have her lay down."

He was right. My toes up to my knees had already gone numb. My fingers couldn't grip the glass cup correctly any longer, and it slipped from my hand. It broke, sending the white glass everywhere. My legs gave out next, but Fang quickly scooped me up bridal style. He laid me down on the bed and squeezed my hand. "I can't move my legs." I said worried, but I felt myself slipping away. I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to keep my eyes open.

"It will be about an hour and a half before she wakes up. She'll be a little loopy and disoriented after that." Jeb took out a pretty scary looking tool.

"WHAT!?" I gasped, fighting against the darkness pulling at my mind.

Jeb blinked with concern.

"It's fine." Fang reassured him. He chuckled lightly. "The loopy side effect was the whole reason she was avoiding Valium."

I growled while Jeb gave an apologetic smile...

"Oops."

That was the last thing I heard when I blacked-out.

_That's exactly what everyone wants to hear when they're going in for surgery. 'Oops.'_

* * *

Fang POV

I know it was irrational, but I couldn't help the panic that rose up in me when Max went limp. I could feel the tension of the others, too. My fingers tightened around hers until my knuckles turned white.

"Just pretend she's asleep, man." Iggy said quietly.

I glanced at her face and sighed. "It's hard. She scowls in her sleep. But right now, she just looks happy."

Nudge giggled.

"Her looking happy is a bad thing?" Wake asked honestly.

"Never try to wake her up!" Total broke in to make sure to warn us. "She'll punch you in her sleep."

Angel pulled the dog close. "Okay. Thanks. But, why are you here anyway, Total? Isn't Akila pregnant?"

He grinned. "Yes! I'm going to be a Dad!" He licked Angel's face. "But she kicked me out for now. She said she didn't want me to waste my time sitting around acting like she was helpless."

"So you came here?" I asked. "Alone?"

He shook his head. "That's when-"

Jeb's hand quickly shot over Total's mouth. "Shh!" He hissed. "Wait until we destroy the chip." He turned back to Max and slowly pulled the piece out near her wrist. He gently laid it on the bedside table. "Destroy it." He whispered as he pulled out thread for the stitches.

I picked up the chip. This little tiny square was the reason we'd always been on the run, and also why we were always found. It was the reason that Max had to listen to the Voice talk about Dylan. That was enough to make me see red. I placed the chip on the kitchen counter and slammed my fist down hard. It shattered into more pieces than I thought possible along with the section of counter I'd punched. I pulled my hand out of the gaping hole, satisfied.

"Continue, Total." I said as I took my seat back on the bed, holding Max's hand.

He frowned. "When I went out, the Whitecoats from the School got Dr. M and Ella. I tried to take them down, but I couldn't. They flew off in a chopper. Jeb showed up later and said we needed to save them. He said you'd be in France. I'm your guys' guardian. I need to protect you guys, so I came immediately."

I brushed hair back from Max's still face. This was the news Angel had thought out to us. Max was going to be mad, and probably not as careful as usual when she found out.

"Done." Jeb sighed, wiping the rest of the blood away with alcohol.

"What now?" Iggy asked.

Jeb shrugged. "We wait until she wakes up, wait until the drug wears off, and tell her the problem. After that, it's up to her." He turned to walk out the door.

"You're leaving?" I asked, shortly.

"Not until I tell you everything." He stopped at the door, but didn't turn to face us. "I'm a double agent for RAWR. I give the School false information, and spring you free every time you get caught there. But now, neither the School nor RAWR will accept me back. They both tampered with her chip. Sometimes the School gained control, and sometimes RAWR did. But they were always both listening. Now they know I removed it. I am merely here to tell you that the School has Valencia and Ella. But also terrifying, is the fact that RAWR has Ella's father."

"Wait, _what_!" I asked enraged.

Jeb opened the door. I sprang up to slam it shut, but a head of blonde hair beat me to it. Iggy grabbed his collar, picked him up by it, and shoved him against a wall.

"Answer Fang's question."

Jeb calmly pushed his glasses back up his nose. "This is a cold war. Both sides have great targets. Shoot at one and they kill who they have hostage. Max is going to have to decide which one dies. Trust me, even though she doesn't know Ella's dad, it's going to be hard for her to let him die."

"Mr. Martinez is actually alive, and your people took him?" I asked as Iggy pressed him harder to the wall.

"No." He said levelly. "He is alive, yes. RAWR took him, yes. But the moment I came to take Max's chip out, I no longer belonged to anyone. So, no. _My_ people did not take him."

"I have half a mind to kill you right now." Iggy shouted bringing him back and slamming him into the wall again. "How did anyone get a hold of Ella!? I will kill who ever laid a hand on her and her family!"

Jeb sighed. "I thought you would. You have bigger problems to worry about, though. I'm sure the School has sent some visitors. They didn't exactly want me to remove that chip. Niether did RAWR."

"What...?"

"Iggy..." Angel breathed. "We have to go now! Forget about Jeb. Erasers are coming!"

I watched Iggy reluctantly drop the man, and I ran back to the others. Wake, Total, and Angel were crowded at the window. The rest were gathered around the non-functioning Max.

Max. Couldn't. Fight.

"We're running for it!" I called to them. I scooped her up and ran to the window. "How much time do we have?"

Angel closed her eyes in concentration. She whimpered. "One of them is seeing the Dairy Queen two miles away from here."

I nodded. "We can make it. Fly it hard and fast guys. They can't track us with Max's chip gone."

They all had grim looks on their faces. They knew it wasn't likely that we'd escape without a fight. The Erasers were plenty close enough to catch us.

"We can do this." Nudge said. Wake grabbed her hand, Angel squeezed Total, and Gazzy latched a death grip onto Iggy's elbow. I pressed my face into Max's hair before jumping out and taking off away from the hotel.

* * *

**Okay, people. I'm not quite sure how this ending is going to work out. I just keep making this harder and harder for myself. And this is in not in anyway the last chapter coming up. There will be more! :)**

**PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS! I WOULD BE FOREVER GRATEFUL!**

**And also, I'm just going to start asking now... What should Total's puppies look like? Wings or no wings? White, Black, Grey? Scottie sized or big like their Momma? AND NAMES? HOW MANY?**

**Since I asked questions, I want reviews! Tell me answers! I want to get to 100, and then I will cry with happiness!**


	14. Sparkly Scarves and Finding Bellybuttons

**SURPRISE! I'm not dead!**

**I have a super-duper long list of things I've been busy with, but I'm not going to bore you with that. You have waited long enough!**

**Quick recap since it has been so long...**

_**IMPORTANT-ISH!**_

_Ella and Dr. Martinez are being held captive by the School - and we just found out Mr. Martinez is alive and being held captive by RAWR. How are they going to save everyone? Our feathery friends are in a bit of a pickle. Max is drugged up from getting her chip removed, and Erasers are speeding toward the flock. GASP! Fang just jumped out the window carrying our beloved sarcastic leader. Max wuvs Fang. Nudge wuvs Wake. Iggy wuvs Ella..._

**Any of that ring a bell? I recommend re-reading the last chapter if you're a little lost. Heck, I had to go back and reread it, and I'm the one that wrote it!**

**Sorry again for the wait! Here's the somewhat-short Chapter 14!**

* * *

Fang POV

"Hurry up! Faster, you hooligans!" Total barked at us, which wasn't helping at all.

_South!_ Angel's voice echoed in our heads. Just as my feathers tilted to take up a southbound direction, Angel's thought interrupted again frantically. _No, no, NO!_ She stopped her lead and shot downward toward a clearing in the forest below us. _They're surrounding us. It'd be better if we fought from the ground. This generation is weaker on foot._

I landed harder than I normally would have with the extra weight of carrying Max. She stirred a little and dopily looked up at me. "Don't get up." I whispered to her as I gently laid her on the ground.

She rolled over and started giggling quietly to herself. "Fang, you can't tell me what..." She trailed off and closed her eyes, rolling back over onto her other side.

By the time I turned back around, the others were landing. Nudge was first to speak. "Where's Kazin? Did anybody get her?"

Wake looked to Iggy for an explanation. Judging by the looks on both of their faces, the two guys had already talked. When Iggy just kept pacing and muttering furiously about Ella and Dr. Martinez, Wake explained. "When Iggy went around to wake people up about Jeb coming, Kazin had left a note on her door saying that she was leaving to live with some her other friends. She was mad, and she isn't coming back. She's fine, though."

I nodded in understanding. I could hear the hurt in his voice. I knew what it felt like to have your own flock and family leave you or cast you out. Nudge obviously heard it too. She gave his hand a squeeze and was just about to give him comforting words when Angel drew in a sharp breath. Everyone got quiet.

"They're hear." She whispered, her voice wavering with concern. She crouched and morphed into her "bird-of-paradise" form. Bright blue feathers pushed through her skin along her elbows and around her face. Her eyes became rounder, her sight magnified.

"My favorite!" Total said excitedly.

"With a new upgrade." I added appreciatively, noticing the bird talons sprouting from her fingernails.

Nudge pulled something out of her jacket that flashed in the moonlight. I didn't quite catch what it was, but I was pretty sure it was silverware - forks, to be exact.

Gazzy and Ig looked at each other and simply shrugged off their jackets. Holding onto the sleeves, they shook them, and stick after stick of dynamite poured out in what seemed to be an impossible amount.

"Really?" Wake asked while he brought his fists up in a fighting stance.

Iggy grinned.

I stood next to Angel, and her eyes darted up to me in question. I whispered to her. "What are our chances?"

She glanced up at me, her face calculating the odds and simultaneously reading my mind. "We'll be fine with what we have. There is no need for you to change."

I thanked her silently, and she nodded her reassurance. I didn't have to say aloud the pain she saved me from. I had been wondering if I needed to wolf-out. Although that form was much more effective at fighting, I wanted to avoid the unbearable pain of Turning. The initial change was the worst part, but it would linger throughout my time as an Eraser.

By the time Iggy started lighting the first few explosives, a small wave of Erasers leapt into the clearing. Gazzy threw the dynamite that Iggy handed him. Fifteen Erasers down with the first four thrown.

Total puffed out his chest and yelled, "DIE, you filthy excuses of canines!"

And that was when all heck broke lose. Nudge threw her metal forks and they soared around like reusable missiles. Angel ran at a pack of Erasers, and then I was absorbed into my own battle.

My main focus was to protect Max. I stayed in front of her dancing left and right to take out whoever tried to pass. I lunged at the nearest one, reaching up to pop it's eardrums. It ducked so that my hands clapped the air over it's head. His knee came up to my stomach and I was knocked back. I quickly jumped back at him, connecting a solid fist with his jaw. He fell back with a hard thud and a swarm of Nudge's forks finished him off. I was really beginning to appreciate the fact that kitchen appliances were Nudge's weapon of choice.

I rubbed my middle. I had forgotten how advanced these Erasers were. This generation was quicker and stronger. They actually scared me.

I ran forward, straight at the knees of my next target. I hit him hard, flipping him over my shoulder. He fell to the ground, coming face to face with a _very_ angry looking Scottie. "You disgust me." Total said as he bit the wolf's arm. Iggy teamed up with him and made sure to knock him unconscious.

I glanced around to see how the others were doing. I cracked a smile when my eyes came across Wake. He had one of Nudge's fashion scarfs wrapped around his head to protect up his super sensitive ears from the sounds of battle. Pink and blue sparkles dangled from the edges on frilly strings. I'd make fun of him later.

I was turning back around to see if anything else was going for Max when my breath hitched. She was gone.

Gazzy's voice cut through the clearing. "Max! No!"

I whirled around to see Gasman to busy and surrounded by Erasers while a few others were toying with Max. One tossed her, and another caught her. Like an innocent game of catch in the middle of a battle. One locked it's gaze with me. The panic on my face must have amused the Eraser, because it smiled, tracing the side of her cheek with it's claw. It's nail just broke the skin enough to let the poison enter her body. Max struggled weakly against it's hand, stretching her neck to try to avoid another scratch.

I charged forward with rage, but the run was immediately cut short. Two Erasers rammed into me and pinned me to the ground. I heard one of the bones in my right wing crack under my attackers' weight, and I winced. The dark one continued to hold me down, while the other stood up. I bucked trying to throw him off. He growled when I kneed him in the back. The standing Eraser laughed at it's friend, and I grinned at the scowl the darker one gave me. When the standing one saw my smirk, he jumped on my right wing entirely.

Crack. Crack. CRACK!

"Huh-haaaaaah!" I yelled. My fists clenched in excruciation, and my eyes screwed shut. I yelled again as his weight shifted to step off.

"Birdy can't fly without his wing can he?" The darker one that had me pinned sneered. I spit in his face defiantly, and he roared with anger. "Get his other wing!" He barked out.

I sucked in a fear-stricken gasp and pulled in my wing as far as I could, but that practically did nothing. I couldn't get it under me. The Eraser lifted his foot to break my other wing and I kicked hard with panic.

I squirmed, and yelled in frustration.

Then I heard Max's scream.

... I have never heard Max scream.

My blood froze instantly. No one ever hurts Max enough for her to shriek so helplessly. She was too strong. And I wouldn't allow it.

Instead of yelling when his foot shattered another bone, I growled. Both wolf-men looked at me with confusion.

Suddenly my vision was red as the transformation started. After a moment of pure agony, I snarled and my abusers were on the ground. I was streaking full speed at whoever was holding Max. "DON'T TOUCH HER!" I shouted into the night.

Everything went black.

* * *

"Hello? Hellooo?" A voice echoed. I was slapped lightly across the face a few times. "Dude, are you awake?"

My eyes snapped open and I snatched Iggy's hand away from my nose. He yanked his fingers away and yelled out for back up. He roughly pinned my shoulders to the ground. "Please, don't make us knock you out again."

"What?" I blinked in confusion. "Ig, get off of me."

He hesitantly let go. "You're speaking?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Enough with the dark and silent jokes." I brushed my arms off. "I talk just as much as you do."

Angel appeared from the underbrush smiling. "It's alright guys. His mind is sane again."

Nudge peaked out from behind a tree, and Gazzy scooted into view, his hands in his pockets. They seemed almost... frightened? Skeptickal? Worried?

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked standing up. I shook my head clear, remembering something. "Where's Max?"

I looked to Iggy, but his face became uncomfortable. He shied away. "Well... uh... you... you see..."

My throat constricted. "She... she's not dead. Right?"

His eyes widened. "God, no!" He back pedaled fast. "That's not it at all! Heaven all mighty knows that you made sure of that."

"I need to see her." I demanded. "She got scratched." I stepped forward. Wake quickly shoved me back and I growled with frustration. "What the heck is wrong with you guys?"

"You can't see her yet." Iggy spluttered nervously. "You changed in the fight, saved Max, and took out every Eraser like they were stuffed animals. We didn't even really get a chance to fight since you were killing them so fast."

Angel nodded. "As soon as they were all gone, you went back to Max and wouldn't let anyone near. Not even to let us try to help or anything. You just stood over her and didn't allow anybody to get close enough to see her wounds. Your mind was blank. Like you were an animal only acting on instinct. Like you were stuck in combat mode."

"Protecting your 'Mate'." Iggy interrupted helpfully, raising his eyebrows up and down. "Cute, adorable puppy love."

I ignored him.

He didn't get the reaction he wanted, so he added a little, "Woof!"

I shot him a look, and of course it was lost on him.

Gazzy shuffled his feet. "Angel had to use mind control to get you to stay still while Iggy knocked you out. We used your spit to heal everyone. Max is fine now." He gave an apologetic smile. "We just not sure how you'll react when you see her."

I sat there, emotionless on the outside, while my mind fumbled, trying to make sense of everything they had just told me. I had done all of that? I had lost control? Was I becoming an actual blood-thirsty Eraser?

_No._ I looked up to meet Angel's gaze. Her voice was loud in my head, and it startled me. _It's just power that you don't know how to control yet. It's more likely that we can get Ella and Dr. Martinez back now. And her dad, but you have to start training. With great power comes great responsibility. Learn your power._

I laughed aloud. "Alright, alright. Just don't quote Spiderman stuff at me. Okay?"

Wake raised an eyebrow. "Who's this Spiderman guy?" He looked seriously puzzled. "Do you guys know him?"

Iggy cracked up. "Know him!?" He threw his arm over Wake's shoulder and gave him a noogie. "Heck yeah! Him and I are best buds!"

Angel smiled, and Nudge smothered a laugh.

"Let's go, Batman." Iggy continued as he pulled Wake along in the direction of Max. "You and Spiderman totally have so much in common."

Gazzy turned and spoke to me while we followed. "She's still a little loopy." He warned me. "She started freaking out because she couldn't find her bellybutton."

I thought a second, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't imagine Max being anything except her normal, tough leader self. I mean, even though I'd seen her drugged before, I wasn't prepared for what happened when Gazzy pushed aside an exceptionally large leaf.

"FANG! I FOUND IT! I FOUND MY BELLYB-" She had jumped up and launched herself at me, but somehow, she missed by a foot and ended up landing face first into the ground.

I couldn't do anything except stare.

"Faaaaang." She complained while sitting up. "Your twin isn't real!"

After standing a moment in complete surprise, I finally found my voice to whisper, "Twin?" to Iggy.

He shrugged. "She's been seeing double. I guess it's one of the side effects. I suppose somewhere in that brain of hers, she believes her double vision of you is showing your twin."

"Seriously?" I asked. Max suddenly found a blade of grass to be the funniest thing in the world. She held it up for me to see.

"GREEN!" She squealed happily. I blinked, and she shoved it closer to my face.

"Um... thanks?" I said taking it from her. She beamed and cackled with delight. I rubbed at the back of my neck, and caught the rest of the flock sneaking away.

They froze when my glare caught them.

"Babysit her." Wake mouthed.

"Why?" I whispered back, shaking my head and crossing my arms.

_You seem to be fine with her, so Iggy and Gazzy are going to re-stalk up on explosives._ Angel began. _Nudge is getting us new clothes. I'm getting us food-_

"Fine," I said, cutting her off, "but how do I... deal with her?"

Angel thought a moment, and then said, "Play patty cake."

"What the heck is that!?" I asked helplessly. She shrugged and flew away with the others, leaving me to deal with Max - who was now currently trying to see how many flowers she could shove up her nose.

Just me... my hallucinating girlfriend... and my nonexistent twin.

... ugh.

Best alone time ever.

* * *

**So... yay! And the Flock doesn't suck at fighting now, it's just that the upgraded Erasers are super good. Like, Omega good. Can't wait to write chapter 15!**

**I'm not sure how frequent I will be updating, because I'm writing a book, and ****I want to get it published! So, I'm kind of focussing on that right now.**

**And then there's homework. (sigh)**

**I'm a little rusty with this story, so tell me what you think in a review! Reviews are loved and help me update quicker! :D Much thanks to all of you!**

**AND PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS! WRITERS BLOCK SUCKS! ;)**


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